THE LOVE-CHILD. 565 



unconscious of mortification that emotion of the mind being over- 

 whelmed by my bodily suffering. A short docker, by the practised 

 hand of an enraged postillion, even on the withers of a horse, is no 

 trifle, but on spots of nakedness, revealed by the meagre apparel 

 of a ragged child, it produces sheer torture as I, at least, can bear 

 witness. 



The little wretch's rage and exertions soon exhausted him, and 

 with a final inefficient slash at my face, which I had turned up to 

 him most pitiably to entreat that he would be merciful, he tottered 

 back to his saddle. Without what is termed a mounting-horse, he 

 could not reach the stirrup with his toe : he therefore made an 

 attempt to clamber up, but was foiled and fell. At that moment the 

 full force of my disgrace rushed upon me like a torrent. All that I 

 had endured seemed to fly to my heart the remembrance of the 

 last slash at my imploring face was magical I started up, rushed 

 upon him, twisted the whip from his tired grasp, and began to be- 

 labour him with the heavy brass-bound butt-end of it about the head 

 with such ferocious force, that before the coachman, who had previously 

 enjoyed the sport, could descend from the box to his relief, I had left 

 him senseless and pale as the chalky road-dust on which he lay. 



On perceiving the approach of Mr. Ongar that was the coachman's 

 name I darted beneath the bellies of his leaders, and before he could 

 get round to the off-side of them, I had reached, and entrenched myself 

 behind a mound of stones, gathered together for the repair of the 

 roads. From this, as he came 011 to the charge, whip in hand, and 

 bursting with fury for he disputed the valet's claim of ownership as 

 to Master James I peppered away at his large legs with prodigious 

 effect. The skill possessed by a blackguard village boy in throwing 

 stones, is scarcely credible without ocular proof. I excelled in this 

 low-live accomplishment : and the shins of Mr. Ongar speedily dyed 

 his pale pink silk-stockings of a dull wet carmine. He approached 

 my defence, swearing, howling, shrieking, and dancing he did not 

 run, but lifted up his legs like a slow-paced horse afflicted with the 

 stringhalt displaying very high action, but little or no speed. 

 When almost within reach of his whip, I brought him down, by 

 a jagged two-ounce fragment of pure granite, which took effect about 

 an inch and a half above his ancle. At that moment, Squire Patch 

 and his party reappeared. In the triumph of puerile conquest, I 

 hurled an effective half-pounder at the plate glass window of the car- 

 riage, and before the consequent crash subsided, beat a retreat. 



Threading the coverts of the park, into which I found, at once, a 

 practicable entrance, I hurried on with the speed of a hunted fox. 

 My pursuers soon gained upon me however so fast, and I became so 

 weak, that I thought fit to abandon my first intention of making for 

 a distant badger's earth, into which I knew by experiment I could 

 creep, and jumped helter skelter from the brow of a ridge into the little 

 glen of briers and brambles beneath. I had very reasonable fears of 

 my pursuers, for they were the lads among whom I had so recently 

 scrambled my worldly possessions, hallooed on, as I clearly heard, by 

 Squire Patch and his friends from these I expected nothing less than 

 some mysterious awful " terror of the law." 



