he Captain (turning the quid of
tobacco once or twice in his mouth, and taking his hand down from his
nose to his chin), in his prolonged solemn tone, "we will put you to
time." The race was run and lost. The Captain was walking one day in
his park when he came on an intruder in the shape of an ass. He seized
the donkey and threw it over the wall of the park. To his astonishment
the animal was returned. The Captain pitched him over again, and again
he came back. This was repeated several times, till at last the Captain
went outside the wall and found that it was a gypsy that was his match.
He was so much pleased with the prowess of the man, that he took him to
the mansion-house of Ury, treated him to all he could eat and drink,
and gave him permission to graze his donkey as often as he liked on the
policies of Ury. One morning, when the Captain was driving the
"Defiance," there was a plain country woman sitting behind him. A
gentleman wished to deprive the woman of her seat. The Captain
remonstrated with him and bade him let the poor woman alone. The
stranger did not know that it was Captain Barclay, and went on from
better to worse, till he told the Captain if he would stop the coach
and come down he would settle the matter with him. The Captain
immediately stopped the coach, saying, "I suppose I must gratify you,"
gave the reins to Davie Troup, and jumped down with his top-coat on.
The stranger advised him to strip. "Oh no," said the Captain, "that
would be troublesome." His opponent, a very strong man, rushed at him
like a bull-dog. The Captain put on his guard, looked at his antagonist
for a moment or two, turned the quid of tobacco once or twice in his
mouth, and then gave him a blow that felled him to the ground like a
log of wood. He got to his feet again, when the Captain doubled the
dose. The stranger was satisfied, and said, "You must either be the
devil or Captain Barclay of Ury." "I am not the former," said the
Captain, "but I am the latter." A stranger would hardly at first sight
have got an adequate impression of Captain Barclay's power, but his
appearance grew upon you when you came close to him; you then saw his
great strength. He was a very round-made man, shaped for great
endurance, which was put to a severe test when, in 1809, he walked a
thousand miles in a thousand hours. His man Cross, who attended him,
described to me the difficulty of his task in keeping him awake. At
first he had to apply the sti