“No!” said he: “I have been doing business with the Welsh forty years, but can’t speak a word of their language. I sometimes guess at a word, spoken in the course of business, but am never sure.” Presently John Jones began talking to me, saying that he had been to the river, that the water was very low, and that there was little but stones in the bed of the stream. I told him if its name was Ceiriog no wonder there were plenty of stones in it, Ceiriog being derived from Cerrig, a rock. The men stared to hear me speak Welsh. “Is the gentleman a Welshman?” said one of the men, near the door, to his companion; “he seems to speak Welsh very well.” “How should I know?” said the other, who appeared to be a low working man. “Who are those people?” said I to John Jones. “The smaller man is a workman at a flannel manufactory,” said Jones. “The other I do not exactly know.” “And who is the man on the other side of you?” said I. “I believe he is an English dealer in gigs and horses,” replied Jones, “and that he is come here either to buy or sell.” The man, however, soon put me out of all doubt with respect to his profession. “I was at Chirk,” said he, “and Mr. So-and-so asked me to have a look at his new gig and horse, and have a ride. I consented. They were both brought out—everything new: gig new, harness new, and horse new. Mr. So-and-so asked me what I thought of his turn-out. I gave a look and said, ‘I like the car very well, harness very well, but I don’t like the horse at all: a regular bolter, rearer, and kicker, or I’m no judge; moreover, he’s pigeon-toed.’ However, we all got on the car—four of us, and I was of course complimented with the ribbons. Well, we hadn’t gone fifty yards before the horse, to make my words partly good, began to kick like a new ’un. However, I managed him, and he went on for a couple of miles till we got to the top of the hill, just above the descent with the precipice on the right hand. Here he began to rear like a very devil. “‘O dear me!’ says Mr. So-and-so; ‘let me get out!’ “‘Keep where you are,’ says I, ‘I can manage him.’ “However, Mr. So-and-so would not be ruled, and got out; coming down, not on his legs, but his hands and knees. And then the two others said— “‘Let us get out!’ “‘Keep where you are,’ said I, ‘I can manage him.’ “But they must needs get out, or rather tumble out, for they both came down on the road hard on their backs. “‘Get out yourself,’ said they all, ‘and let the devil go, or you are a done man.’ “‘Getting out may do for you young hands,’ says I, ‘but it won’t do for I; neither my back nor bones will stand the hard road.’ “Mr. So-and-so ran to the horse’s head. “‘Are you mad?’ says I, ‘if you try to hold him he’ll be over the pree-si-pice in a twinkling, and then where am I? Give him head; I can manage him.’