I will not say that I was awakened in the morning by the
carolling of birds, as I perhaps might if I were writing a
novel. I awoke because, to use vulgar language, I had slept my
sleep out--not because the birds were carolling around me in
numbers, as they probably had been for hours without my hearing
them. I got up and left my tent; the morning was yet more
bright than that of the preceding day. Impelled by curiosity, I
walked about, endeavouring to ascertain to what place chance,
or rather the pony, had brought me. Following the drift-way for
some time, amidst bushes and stunted trees, I came to a grove
of dark pines, through which it appeared to lead. I tracked it
a few hundred yards; but, seeing nothing but trees, and the way
being wet and sloughy, owing to the recent rain, I returned on
my steps, and, pursuing the path in another direction, came
to a sandy road leading over a common, doubtless the one I
had traversed the preceding night. My curiosity satisfied, I
returned to my little encampment, and on the way beheld a small
footpath on the left, winding through the bushes, which had
before escaped my observation. Having reached my tent and cart,
I breakfasted on some of the provisions which I had purchased
the day before, and then proceeded to take a regular account of
the stock formerly possessed by Slingsby the tinker, but now
become my own by right of lawful purchase.
Besides the pony, the cart, and the tent, I found I was
possessed of a mattress stuffed with straw, on which to lie,
and a blanket to cover me--the last quite clean, and nearly
new. Then there was a frying-pan and a kettle--the first for
cooking any food which required cooking, and the second for
heating any water which I might wish to heat. I likewise
found an earthen tea-pot and two or three cups. Of the first,
I should rather say I found the remains, it being broken in
three parts, no doubt since it came into my possession, which
would have precluded the possibility of my asking anybody to
tea for the present, should anybody visit me--even supposing I
had tea and sugar, which was not the case. I then overhauled
what might more strictly be called the stock in trade. This
consisted of various tools, an iron ladle, a chafing-pan and
small bellows, sundry pans and kettles--the latter being of
tin, with the exception of one which was of copper--all in a
state of considerable dilapidation, if I may use the term. Of
these first Slingsby had spoken in particular, advising me to
mend them as soon as possible, and to endeavour to sell them,
in order that I might have the satisfaction of receiving some
return upon the outlay which I had made. There was likewise
a small quantity of block-tin, sheet-tin, and solder. 'This
Slingsby,' said I, 'is certainly a very honest man; he has sold
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