'Stop!' he yelled suddenly, and began to run after the chaise. Scrope
stood up and spoke to the driver. The horses slackened their pace
until Wogan got within twenty yards of it. Then Scrope spoke again,
and the coachman drove the horses just as fast as Wogan was running.
'You have forgotten something, my friend,' cries Wogan.
'And what's that?' asked Scrope pleasantly, leaning over the back of
the chaise.
'You have forgotten the duel.'
'No,' shouted Scrope with a grimace. 'It is you that forgot that.'
'Ah, you cheese-curd!--you white-livered coward!' cried Wogan, 'and I
taking you for a fine man--equal to myself--you chalky cheese-curd!'
He quickened his pace; Scrope called to the coachman; the coachman
whipped up his horses. 'Oh wait a bit till I come up with you. I'll
eat you in your clothes.'
Wogan bounded along the road, screaming out every vile epithet he
could lay his tongue to in the heat of the moment. His hat and wig
fell off on the road; he did not stop, but ran on bareheaded.
'But listen, the enamoured air
Makes lutestrings of thy locks so fair,'
quoted Scrope, rubbing his hands with delight. Wogan's fury redoubled,
he stripped off his coat and ran till the road grew dizzy and the air
flashed sparks at him. But the chaise kept ever at the same distance.
With this interval of twenty yards between them, chaise and Wogan
dashed through the tiny street of Brampton Bryan. A horde of little
boys tumbled out of the doors and ran at Wogan's heels. The more he
cursed and raved, the more the little boys shouted and yelled. Scrope
in the chaise shook with laughter, clapped his hands as if in
commendation of Wogan's powers, and encouraged him to greater efforts.
They passed out of the village; the children gave up the pursuit, and
sent a few parting stones after Wogan's back; in front stretched the
open road. Wogan ran half a mile further, but he was too heavily
handicapped with his three bottles of wine, and Scrope's horses were
fresh. He shouted out one last oath, and then in a final spasm of fury
sat down by the roadside, stripped off his shoe, and springing into
the middle of the road, hurled it with all his might at the retreating
chaise. The shoe struck the top of the hood, balanced there for a
moment, and bounced over on to the seat. Scrope took it up and waved
it above his head.
'The grass will all its prickles hide,
Nor harm thy snowy feet and bare.'
The driver plied his whip; the chaise whirled out of sight in a cloud
of dust; and the disconsolate Wogan hobbled back to Brampton Bryan
with what secrecy he could.
Mr. Scrope was on his way with the road to London open, were he
disposed to follow it. Mr. Wogan seemed to see his chaise flashing
through the turnpikes, and his sallow cheeks taking on an eager colour
as the miles were heaped behind him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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