e a book oath that creetur went with a bridle across his
head, and a pair o' legs astride his back. And whoever held that bridle
in his hand, did it for no good! Scampering here and scampering there,
and scouring woods in the night too, when the country is as full of
Tories as a beggar's coat with----, it's a dogmatical bad sign, take it
which way you will. Them three horses had the majority, and it is the
nature of these beasts always to follow the majority: that's an
observation I have made; and, in particular, if there's a cornfield, or
an oatpatch, or a piece of fresh pasture to be got into, every
individual horse is unanimous on the subject."

Whilst the sergeant was engrossed with these reflections, "he was ware,"
as the old ballads have it, of a man trudging past him along the road.
This was no other than Wat Adair, who was striding forward with a long
and rapid step, and with all the appearance of one intent upon some
pressing business.

"Halloo! who goes there? where away so fast, Wat?" was Robinson's
challenge.

"Horse Shoe!" exclaimed Adair, in a key that bespoke surprise, and even
alarm,--"Ha, ha, ha!--By the old woman's pipe, you frightened me! I'll
swear, Galbraith Robinson, I heard you snoring as I passed by your
window three minutes ago."

"I'll swear that's not the truest word you ever spoke in your life,
Wat; though true enough for you, mayhap. Do you see how cleverly yon
light has broke across the whole sky? When I first turned out this
morning it was a little ribbon of day: the burning of a block-house at
night, ten miles off, would have made a broader streak. It was your own
snoring you heard, Wat; you have only forgot under whose window it was."

"What old witch has been pinching you, Horse Shoe, that _you_ are up so
early?" asked Adair. "Get back to the house, man, I will be with you
presently; I have my farm to look after, I'll see you presently."

"You seem to me to be in a very onreasonable hurry, Wat, considering
that you have the day before you. But, softly, I'll walk with you, if
you have no unliking to it."

"No, no, I'm busy, Galbraith; I'm going to look after my traps; I'd
rather you'd go back to the house and hurry breakfast. Go! You would
only get scratched with briers if you followed me."

"Ha, ha, ha! Wat! Briers, did you say? Look here, man, do you see them
there legs? Do they look as if they couldn't laugh at yourn in any sort
of scrambling I had a mind to set them to? Tut,