102 HOUND AND HORN 



men as the " humane twitch." He inquired, rather 

 anxiously, what road we were taking, and refused 

 all offers of assistance. 



About a mile further out, on rounding a corner, 

 we saw John's boon companion, Pat Murray, sit- 

 ting complacently on a dog-cart cushion, alongside 

 his trap, with the harness piled on the ground, 

 and a horse-rug wrapped round his knees, smoking 

 his pipe. Pat was as communicative as his pal 

 had been reticent, and cried out, in answer to 

 our query what was wrong, that he and John had 

 cast out badly over the questionable soundness of 

 a cob that John had almost sold to him ; that they 

 had agreed that a continued journey in each other's 

 company would be deteriorating to both ; that this 

 being decided, John had taken out his cob and 

 proceeded to lead him off, when Pat reminded him 

 that the harness was his, and he would rather it 

 was left with the cart. John had demurred to this, 

 but Pat had insisted, so there was nothing for it 

 but to comply, and march off with as much dignity 

 as could be put into the action of dragging a 

 snorting unwilling beast along by the nose and 

 the forelock. John had returned to claim his whip, 

 giving an opening for a reconciliation, but Pat had 

 been obdurate, and had laughed loud when " the 

 Mugger," drawing back from the whip, had left his 

 forelock in John's hand and trotted off, nose and 

 tail in the air ; nor did he assist in the capture of 

 the animal, but shouted out, '' We'll see who'll be 

 home first." He, too, declined all offers of help, 

 saying he was all right and would soon be picked 

 up by a passing chance. 



