ON THE WYE 85 



one or two samples, deprived of much of their 

 raciness in the telling. His stories are generally 

 of a tragic character, but here is one which has 

 something of the comic element. A neighbour 

 farmer had come home from market late at 

 night, and jolly as usual, to put it mildly. Sitting 

 over the fire he soon fell asleep, and managed 

 to drop his beautiful set of false teeth into the 

 ashes. Next morning the housemaid in raking 

 out the grate found these teeth, and, horrified 

 at the sight, she rushed upstairs, screaming, 

 "Oh Missis! Missis! the master's fell in the 

 fire and is burnt to ashes, and there 's nothing 

 left but his teeth, and here they be ! Oh, oh ! " 

 Another over-true tragic story was that of an 

 acquaintance of his in his youthful days, about 

 the time when the Rebeccaites were going 

 about destroying turnpike gates. A gay young 

 spark had been at a hunt meet, and, riding a 

 splendid colt, came up to a turnpike gate three 

 sheets in the wind. He insisted on having the 

 gate opened at once. The old woman refused 

 till the gate-money was paid. He swore he 

 wouldn't pay; if he couldn't pass through the 

 gate, he'd go over it. He turned round, backed 

 his horse for a short distance, and made a dash 



