PI1TOH-ME-NEAR FOREST 



jerking himself off to the side. The horse beat 

 and plunged, and groaned and heaved, still 

 stemming the black slough of despond, until he 

 got fairly through, when after standing a second 

 or two to shake himself, he set off at an un- 

 provoked trot, leaving our master in a most 

 unhappy state of bewilderment as to how he 

 should ever catch him, or get home without him. 



' Dash the beggar,' groaned Jorrocks, as he saw 

 him rolling his great hind-quarters away in the 

 distance * Dash the beggar, but I wish I was a 

 top on 'im, I 'd give 'im summut to run for ' ; so 

 saying, our master gathered himself together, and 

 skirting the moss hag, commenced the unpleasant 

 performance of running in top boots. Squish, 

 squash, splash, he floundered, now over the in- 

 steps, now up to the ankles, now almost up to 

 the knees. He soon began to sob and sigh * Oh 

 dear ! oh dear ! ' groaned he, * did ever mortal man 

 see sich a road might as well try to run in a 

 river. And that confounded quad,' continued he, 

 eyeing Arterxerxes still on the move. * Dash my 



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