“Now I shall ride the chestnut up early,” said he, “’cause I may be wanted to help the Squire and the rest, but it don’t matter for the rest of you. I’ll have a saddle put on my old brown horse, and he’ll be quiet enough, for he has been at harvest work, and the four-wheel must come up with Lu somehow. Will you ride or drive, Sir?” said he, turning to the Parson. “Oh, I don’t mind; whichever is most convenient,” said Mr. Warton. “Did’st ever drive in thy life, Dick?” said Joe to me. I was very near saying “yes,” for I felt ashamed of not being able to do what they could; however, I told the truth, and said “no;” and next minute I was very glad I had, for, besides the shame of telling a lie, how much worse it would have been to be found out by Miss Lucy in the morning, or to have had an upset or some accident. So it was settled that Mr. Warton should drive the four-wheel, and that I should ride the old horse. I didn’t think it necessary to say that I had never ridden any thing but the donkeys on Hampstead Heath, and the elephant in the Zoological Gardens. And so, when all was settled, we went to bed. [25] “Sprack,”--sprightly. [26] “Draw cuts,”--to draw lots. [27] This hand-bill was kindly given me by H. Godwin, Esq., of Newbury. [28] “Warn,”--contraction of the word “warrant.” CHAPTER VI. Next morning I got up early, for I wasn’t quite easy in my mind about riding Joe’s old horse, and so I thought I would just go round and look at him, and ask the fogger something about his ways. It was a splendid morning, not a cloud to be seen. I found the fogger strapping away at the horses. Everybody had been up and about since daylight, to get their day’s work done, so that they might get away early to the pastime. All the cows had been milked and turned out again, and Joe was away in the fields, looking after his men. I stood beating about the bush for some time, for I didn’t want to let the man see what I was thinking of if I could help it. However, when he brought out the old brown horse to clean him down, I went up and patted him, and asked whether he was a good saddle horse. [Illustration] “Ees, there warn’t much fault to find wi’ un,” said the fogger, stopping his hissing and rubbing for a moment, “leastways for them as didn’t mind a high goer.” I didn’t quite know what he meant by a high goer, so I asked him if the brown was up to my weight. “Lor’ bless ’ee, ees. He’d make no account o’ vivteen stun. Be you to ride un up the hill, Sir, make so bold?” said he. “Yes, at least I think so,” said I. “Hev ’ee got arra loose tooth, Sir?” said he, grinning. “No,” said I, “why?” “’Cause he’ll be as likely as not to shake un out for ’ee, Sir, if you lets un hev his head up on the downs.”