"Put the spur smartly into the pacer's flank," said he who had done this
act of civility, observing that the other hesitated to urge his beast
across the irregular and somewhat scattered pile; "my word for it, the
jade goes over them all, without touching with more than three of her four
feet. Fie, doctor! there is never a cow in the Wish-Ton-Wish, but it would
take the leap to be in the first at the milking."
"Softly, Ensign;" returned the timid equestrian, laying the emphasis on
the final syllable of his companion's title, and pronouncing the first as
if it were spelt with the third instead of the second vowel.
"Thy courage is meet for one set apart for deeds of valor, but it would be
a sorrowful day when the ailing of the valley should knock at my door, and
a broken limb be made the apology for want of succor. Thy efforts will
not avail thee, man; for the mare hath had schooling, as well as her
master. I have trained the beast to methodical habits, and she hath come
to have a rooted dislike to all irregularities of movement. So, cease
tugging at the rein, as if thou wouldst compel her to pass the pile in
spite of her teeth, and throw down the upper bar altogether.
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