n do it, I know I can," said a brawny countryman; "so I'll do
it at once.

"The sooner the better," shouted some one behind, "or you'll have no
room for a run, here's a lot of 'em coming up; push over as quickly as
you can."

Thus urged, the jumpers at once made a rush to the edge of the ditch,
and many jumped, and many more, from the prevailing darkness, did not
see exactly where the ditch was, and taking one or two steps too many,
found themselves up above the waist in muddy water.

Nor were those who jumped much better off, for nearly all jumped short
or fell backwards into the stream, and were dragged out in a terrible
state.

"Oh, lord! oh, lord!" exclaimed one poor fellow, dripping wet and
shivering with cold, "I shall die! oh, the rheumatiz, there'll be a
pretty winter for me: I'm half dead."

"Hold your noise," said another, "and help me to get the mud out of my
eye; I can't see."

"Never mind," added a third, "considering how you jump, I don't think
you want to see."

"This comes a hunting vampyres."

"Oh, it's all a judgment; who knows but he may be in the air: it is
nothing to laugh at as I shouldn't be surprised if he were: only think
how precious pleasant."

"However pleasant it may be to you," remarked one, "it's profitable to a
good many."

"How so?"

"Why, see the numbers, of things that will be spoiled, coats torn, hats
crushed, heads broken, and shoes burst. Oh, it's an ill-wind that blows
nobody any good."

"So it is, but you may benefit anybody you like, so you don't do it at
my expence."

In one part of a field where there were some stiles and gates, a big
countryman caught a fat shopkeeper with the arms of the stile a terrible
poke in the stomach; while the breath was knocked out of the poor man's
stomach, and he was gasping with agony, the fellow set to laughing, and
said to his companions, who were of the same class--

"I say, Jim, look at the grocer, he hasn't got any wind to spare, I'd
run him for a wager, see how he gapes like a fish out of water."

The poor shopkeeper felt indeed like a fish out of water, and as he
afterwards declared he felt just as if he had had a red hot clock weight
thrust into the midst of his stomach and there left to cool.

However, the grocer would be revenged upon his tormentor, who had now
lost sight of him, but the fat man, after a time, recovering his wind,
and the pain in his stomach becoming less intense, he gathered himself
up.

"My nam