ows on horseback; one had a long pole on his shoulder,
another a fork, the third no weapon at all, that I saw. I gave them
the road very orderly, being habited like one of their brethren; but
one of them stopping short at me, and looking earnestly calls out,
"Hark thee, friend," says he, in a broad north-country tone, "whar
hast thou thilk horse?" I must confess I was in the utmost confusion
at the question, neither being able to answer the question, nor to
speak in his tone; so I made as if I did not hear him, and went on.
"Na, but ye's not gang soa," says the boor, and comes up to me, and
takes hold of the horse's bridle to stop me; at which, vexed at heart
that I could not tell how to talk to him, I reached him a great knock
on the pate with my fork, and fetched him off of his horse, and then
began to mend my pace. The other clowns, though it seems they knew not
what the fellow wanted, pursued me, and finding they had better heels
than I, I saw there was no remedy but to make use of my hands, and
faced about.

The first that came up with me was he that had no weapons, so I
thought I might parley with him, and speaking as country-like as I
could, I asked him what he wanted? "Thou'st knaw that soon," says
Yorkshire, "and ise but come at thee." "Then keep awa', man," said
I, "or ise brain thee." By this time the third man came up, and the
parley ended; for he gave me no words, but laid at me with his long
pole, and that with such fury, that I began to be doubtful of him.
I was loth to shoot the fellow, though I had pistols under my grey
frock, as well for that the noise of a pistol might bring more people
in, the village being on our rear, and also because I could not
imagine what the fellow meant, or would have. But at last, finding
he would be too many for me with that long weapon, and a hardy strong
fellow, I threw myself off my horse, and running in with him, stabbed
my fork into his horse. The horse being wounded, staggered awhile, and
then fell down, and the booby had not the sense to get down in time,
but fell with him. Upon which, giving him a knock or two with my fork,
I secured him. The other, by this time, had furnished himself with a
great stick out of a hedge, and before I was disengaged from the last
fellow, gave me two such blows, that if the last had not missed my
head and hit me on the shoulder, I had ended the fight and my life
together. 'Twas time to look about me now, for this was a madman. I
defend