erton--'Uncle Ben here in this plight! What, Mr.
Reuben Huckaback!'

'An honest hosier and draper, serge and longcloth warehouseman'--he
groaned from rib to rib--'at the sign of the Gartered Kitten in the
loyal town of Dulverton. For God's sake, let me down, good fellow, from
this accursed marrow-bone; and a groat of good money will I pay thee,
safe in my house to Dulverton; but take notice that the horse is mine,
no less than the nag they robbed from me.'

'What, Uncle Ben, dost thou not know me, thy dutiful nephew John Ridd?'

Not to make a long story of it, I cut the thongs that bound him, and
set him astride on the little horse; but he was too weak to stay so.
Therefore I mounted him on my back, turning the horse into horse-steps,
and leading the pony by the cords which I fastened around his nose, set
out for Plover's Barrows.

Uncle Ben went fast asleep on my back, being jaded and shaken beyond his
strength, for a man of three-score and five; and as soon he felt assured
of safety he would talk no more. And to tell the truth he snored so
loudly, that I could almost believe that fearful noise in the fog every
night came all the way from Dulverton.

Now as soon as ever I brought him in, we set him up in the
chimney-corner, comfortable and handsome; and it was no little delight
to me to get him off my back; for, like his own fortune, Uncle Ben was
of a good round figure. He gave his long coat a shake or two, and he
stamped about in the kitchen, until he was sure of his whereabouts, and
then he fell asleep again until supper should be ready.

'He shall marry Ruth,' he said by-and-by to himself, and not to me; 'he
shall marry Ruth for this, and have my little savings, soon as they be
worth the having. Very little as yet, very little indeed; and ever so
much gone to-day along of them rascal robbers.'

My mother made a dreadful stir, of course, about Uncle Ben being in such
a plight as this; so I left him to her care and Annie's, and soon they
fed him rarely, while I went out to see to the comfort of the captured
pony. And in truth he was worth the catching, and served us very well
afterwards, though Uncle Ben was inclined to claim him for his business
at Dulverton, where they have carts and that like. 'But,' I said, 'you
shall have him, sir, and welcome, if you will only ride him home as
first I found you riding him.' And with that he dropped it.

A very strange old man he was, short in his manner, though long of