have passed while
he was seeing Punch saddled, to make me determine to ride the chestnut
mare, whose vicious disposition was, he informed me, so well known, that
not only would no one ride her who could help it, but that Snaffles, who
was most anxious to get rid of her, had not as yet been able to find
a purchaser. In reply to this I gave him a short account of what had
occurred, adding my more than suspicion that the whole matter had been
arranged by Cumberland, in which notion he entirely agreed with me.

"I was afraid of something of this sort, when I said I was sorry you had
made that remark about cheating to him this morning--you see, he would
no doubt suppose you had heard the particulars of his gambling affair,
and meant to insult him by what you said, and he has done this out of
revenge. Oh, how I wish we were safely at home again; shall we turn back
now?"

"Not for the world," said I--"you will find, when you know me better,
that when once I have undertaken a thing, I _will_ go through with
it--difficulties only make me more determined."

"Ah!" said Coleman, "you should get somebody to write a book about
you, that is the kind of disposition they always give to the heroes of
novels, the sort of character that will go and run his head against a
brick wall to prove that it is the harder and thicker of the two--they
knock out their brains though, sometimes, in doing it, when they happen
to have any--it is very pretty to read about, splendid in theory, but I
much doubt its acting so well if you come to put it in practice."

"You may laugh at me, if you please," replied I; "but depend upon it,
a man of energy and determination will undertake great deeds, aye, and
perform them too, which your prudent, cautious character would have
considered impossibilities."

"Perhaps it may be so," was the reply; "I know I am not the sort of
stuff they cut heroes out of--woa, Punch! steady, old boy; holloa, what
ails him? this is getting serious."

During this conversation we had been gradually leaving the town behind
us and approaching the downs, and had arrived at a point where the road
became a mere cart-track, and the open country lay spread for
miles before us. Our two steeds, which had up to the present time
~41~~conducted themselves with the greatest propriety, now began to show
signs of excitement, and, as the fresh air from the downs blew against
their nostrils, they tossed their heads, snorted, and exchanged the
qu