The Best Fourteen-Hander in England. 197 



thread ; the coat itself was ripped up the back, and my trousers 

 split open at both knees. A pretty figure I must have cut as I came 

 shooting out of that shrubbery, to the amazement of a quiet coun- 

 try family, who were just passing on their way to the church in the 

 little neighbouring town ! However, when I got on to the turn- 

 pike, and saw there was no help for it, I pulled myself together as 

 well as I could, pushed my battered hat up over my eyes, and this 

 gave me a still more rakish appearance, and, as I saw the road 

 was pretty clear, I thought it best to let my lady have her 

 fling out, feeling confident that the pace would soon kill her 

 with my weight on her back. But I little knew her pluck 

 and bottom ; and as little did I know what I afterwards learnt, 

 that this was not the first time by many that she had bolted 

 in this way. In fact, the whole tale of the dear consump- 

 tive young lady was a "pleasant conceit" of Joe's, for it turned 

 out that this meek, dove-eyed lady's hack had passed into 

 his hands from a farmer on the Belper side one of the best 

 judges of a pony in England, who would never have parted with 

 her if he could have found a lad to hold her, for she had shown 

 herself good enough, when in the humour, to beat anything oi her 

 size ; but after having bolted with himself and all his boys, he reluc- 

 tantly threw her up, and sold her to Mr. Cox for about a fifth of 

 her value, if she had been quiet. But, strange to say, at times she 

 was as quiet as a lamb, and then a sweeter little horse was never 

 crossed ; but there was no saying when she might take it into her 

 head to bolt, and when the fit was on her, no arm or bit in England 

 could hold her. 



This was the history of the little mare, and I never was more 

 regularly sold in my life. However, I had no time now to think 

 about whether I had been done or not, for I was within a couple of 

 hundred yards of the turnpike-gate, which, as usual on a road where, 

 except on market-days, there was but little traffic, was shut. Now 

 this gate was a strong ash one, more than five feet high, with bars 

 so thick that an elephant could hardly have broken them. There 

 was a stiff stile by the side on a high, broad causeway, and although 



