than that he has hitherto
adopted."

"A canter, or an easy gallop would suit you best," answered my father;
"try him with a touch of your whip behind, and give a gentle jerk with
your left rein. Now, away we go!" and both steeds broke into a canter,
exchanging it in a short time for a gallop.

"Very pleasant, very pleasant; I only hope that my nag won't run away
altogether," said Mr Tidey.

"No fear of that," answered my father; "keep a sufficiently tight hold
on your rein, and he'll go on well enough."

As long as the ground was level his companion stuck on to admiration,
but at length, coming to a rough part, his steed gave a bound over it,
swerving on one side and shooting his rider, fortunately, into the
middle of a bush, from which my father saw him struggling desperately to
get free. Having caught the horse, my father pulled up.

"_Nil desperandum_! I'll try again," cried Mr Tidey; "but I should be
obliged to the animal not to play me such another trick."

"You must be prepared for such tricks," answered my father, calling
Peter to hold the horse.

The Dominie at once bravely remounted, and the party moved forward, but
before long he was again pitched off into the bed of a stream which
flowed by the road-side, happily without any other damage than a
thorough wetting.

"It won't do, captain, it won't do!" he cried; "I must trust to my feet,
and I may hope some day or other to reach your hospitable home. Give me
directions how to find it, and let me have my gun and the ammunition you
were kind enough to obtain for me, and I doubt not but that in due
course I shall present myself at your gate; the exercise will dry my
clothes, and my gun will afford me as much food as I require; I am
accustomed to the vicissitudes of fortune."

My father being anxious to get home, and suspecting that Mr Tidey would
still further delay him, somewhat reluctantly consented to his proposal,
and slipping a couple of dollars into his hand, told Peter to give him
back his rifle and knapsack, with his powder-horn and shot-belt.

"A thousand thanks, a thousand thanks!" exclaimed Mr Tidey; "I shall
think better of the world in future than I have been inclined to do for
some time past."

On leaving Mr Tidey my father had some doubts whether he should ever
see him again. He had, however, thought on his way home of the
conversation which had taken place between them, and came to the
conclusion that he was honest. That he inten