The Romany Rye: A Sequel to 'Lavengro'Borrow, George
General
The Romany Rye: A Sequel to 'Lavengro'
Borrow, George
Adventure stories; England -- Fiction; Romanies -- Fiction
permitted him to look over, then backed him for about ten yards, and
pressing his calves against the horse's sides, he loosed the rein, and
the horse launching forward, took the leap in gallant style. 'Well done,
man and horse!' said Mr. Petulengro; 'now come back, Tawno.' The leap
from the side of the meadow was, however, somewhat higher; and the horse,
when pushed at it, at first turned away; whereupon Tawno backed him to a
greater distance, pushed the horse to a full gallop, giving a wild cry;
whereupon the horse again took the wall, slightly grazing one of his legs
against it. 'A near thing,' said the landlord, 'but a good leap. Now,
no more leaping, so long as I have control over the animal.' The horse
was then led back to the stable; and the landlord, myself, and companions
going into the bar, I paid down the money for the horse.
Scarcely was the bargain concluded, when two or three of the company
began to envy me the possession of the horse, and forcing their way into
the bar, with much noise and clamour, said that the horse had been sold
too cheap. One fellow in particular, with a red waistcoat, the son of a
wealthy farmer, said that if he had but known that the horse had been so
good a one, he would have bought it at the first price asked for it,
which he was now willing to pay, that is, to-morrow,
supposing--'Supposing your father will let you have the money,' said the
landlord, 'which, after all, might not be the case; but, however that may
be, it is too late now. I think myself the horse has been sold for too
little money, but if so all the better for the young man, who came
forward when no other body did with his money in his hand. There, take
yourselves out of my bar,' said he to the fellows; 'and a pretty
scoundrel you,' said he to the man of the red waistcoat, 'to say the
horse has been sold too cheap, why, it was only yesterday you said he was
good for nothing, and were passing all kinds of jokes at him. Take
yourself out of my bar, I say, you and all of you,' and he turned the
fellows out. I then asked the landlord whether he would permit the horse
to remain in the stable for a short time, provided I paid for his
entertainment, and on his willingly consenting, I treated my friends with
ale, and then returned with them to the encampment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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