第17章

’Butyourtimemustfrequentlyhangheavyonyourhands；thisisastrangewildplace，andyoumustbeverysolitary？’

’Iamneversolitary；Ihave，asyousee，allmythingsaboutme，andthereisplentyofcompanybelowstairs。NotthatImixwiththesoldiers；ifIdid，good-byetomyauthority；butwhenIamaloneIcanhearalltheirdiscoursethroughtheplanks，andI

oftenlaughtomyselfatthefunnythingstheysay。’

’Andhaveyouanyacquaintancehere？’

’Theverybest；muchbetterthantheColonelandtherest，attheirgrandTemplemore；Ihadneversomanyinmywholelifebefore。Onehasjustleftme，agentlemanwholivesatadistanceacrossthebog；hecomestotalkwithmeaboutGreek，andtheODYSSEY，forheisaverylearnedman，andunderstandstheoldIrish，andvariousotherstrangelanguages。HehashadadisputewithBagg。Onhearinghisname，hecalledhimtohim，and，afterlookingathimforsometimewithgreatcuriosity，saidthathewassurehewasaDane。Bagg，however，tookthecomplimentindudgeon，andsaidthathewasnomoreaDanethanhimself，butatrue-bornEnglishman，andasergeantofsixyears’standing。’

’Andwhatotheracquaintancehaveyou？’

’Allkinds；thewholeneighbourhoodcan’tmakeenoughofme。

Amongstothersthere’stheclergymanoftheparishandhisfamily；

suchavenerableoldman，suchfinesonsanddaughters!Iamtreatedbythemlikeasonandabrother-ImightbealwayswiththemifIpleased；there’sonedrawback，however，ingoingtoseethem；there’sahorriblecreatureinthehouse，akindoftutor，whomtheykeepmorefromcharitythananythingelse；heisaPapistand，theysay，apriest；youshouldseehimscowlsometimesatmyredcoat，forhehatestheking，andnotunfrequently，whentheking’shealthisdrunk，curseshimbetweenhisteeth。Ioncegotuptostrikehim；buttheyoungestofthesisters，whoisthehandsomest，caughtmyarmandpointedtoherforehead。’

’Andwhatdoesyourdutyconsistof？Haveyounothingelsetodothanpayvisitsandreceivethem？’

’Wedowhatisrequiredofus，weguardthisedifice，performourevolutions，andhelptheexcise；Iamfrequentlycalledupinthedeadofnighttogotosomewildplaceorotherinquestofanillicitstill；thislastpartofourdutyispoormeanwork，I

don’tlikeit，normoredoesBagg；thoughwithoutitweshouldnotseemuchactiveservice，fortheneighbourhoodisquiet；savethepoorcreatureswiththeirstills，notasoulisstirring。’Tistruethere’sJerryGrant。’

’AndwhoisJerryGrant？’

’Didyouneverhearofhim？that’sstrange，thewholecountryistalkingabouthim；heisakindofoutlaw，rebel，orrobber，allthreeIdaresay；there’sahundredpoundsofferedforhishead。’

’Andwheredoeshelive？’

’Hisproperhome，theysay，isintheQueen’sCounty，wherehehasaband，butheisastrangefellow，fondofwanderingaboutbyhimselfamidstthebogsandmountains，andlivingintheoldcastles；occasionallyhequartershimselfinthepeasants’houses，wholethimdojustwhathepleases；heisfreeofhismoney，andoftendoesthemgoodturns，andcanbegood-humouredenough，sotheydon’tdislikehim。Thenheiswhattheycallafairyman，apersoninleaguewithfairiesandspirits，andabletoworkmuchharmbysupernaturalmeans，onwhichaccounttheyholdhimingreatawe；heis，moreover，amightystrongandtallfellow。Bagghasseenhim。’

’Hashe？’

’Yes!andfelthim；hetooisastrangeone。AfewdaysagohewastoldthatGranthadbeenseenhoveringaboutanoldcastlesometwomilesoffinthebog；sooneafternoonwhatdoeshedobut，withoutsayingawordtome-forwhich，bythebye，Ioughttoputhimunderarrest，thoughwhatIshoulddowithoutBaggIhavenoideawhatever-whatdoeshedobutwalkofftothecastle，intending，asIsuppose，topayavisittoJerry。Hehadsomedifficultyingettingthereonaccountoftheturf-holesinthebog，whichhewasnotaccustomedto；however，thitheratlasthegotandwentin。Itwasastrangelonesomeplace，hesays，andhedidnotmuchlikethelookofit；however，inhewent，andsearchedaboutfromthebottomtothetopanddownagain，butcouldfindnoone；heshoutedandhallooed，butnobodyanswered，savetherooksandchoughs，whichstartedupingreatnumbers。“Ihavelostmytrouble，“saidBagg，andleftthecastle。Itwasnowlateintheafternoon，nearsunset，whenabouthalf-wayovertheboghemetaman-’

’Andthatmanwas-’

’JerryGrant!there’snodoubtofit。Baggsaysitwasthemostsuddenthingintheworld。Hewasmovingalong，makingthebestofhisway，thinkingofnothingatallsaveapublic-houseatSwantonMorley，whichheintendstotakewhenhegetshome，andtheregimentisdisbanded-thoughIhopethatwillnotbeforsometimeyet：hehadjustleapedaturf-hole，andwasmovingon，when，atthedistanceofaboutsixyardsbeforehim，hesawafellowcomingstraighttowardshim。Baggsaysthathestoppedshort，assuddenlyasifhehadheardthewordhalt，whenmarchingatdoublequicktime。Itwasquiteasurprise，hesays，andhecan’timaginehowthefellowwassocloseuponhimbeforehewasaware。Hewasanimmensetallfellow-Baggthinksatleasttwoinchestallerthanhimself-verywelldressedinabluecoatandbuffbreeches，foralltheworldlikeasquirewhengoingouthunting。Bagg，however，sawatoncethathehadaroguishair，andhewasonhisguardinamoment。“Good-eveningtoye，sodger，“saysthefellow，steppingcloseuptoBagg，andstaringhimintheface。“Good-

eveningtoyou，sir!Ihopeyouarewell，“saysBagg。“Youarelookingaftersomeone？“saysthefellow。“Justso，sir，“saysBagg，andforthwithseizedhimbythecollar；themanlaughed，Baggsaysitwassuchastrangeawkwardlaugh。“Doyouknowwhomyouhavegotholdof，sodger？“saidhe。“IbelieveIdo，sir，“saidBagg，“andinthatbeliefwillholdyoufastinthenameofKingGeorgeandthequartersessions“；thenextmomenthewassprawlingwithhisheelsintheair。Baggsaystherewasnothingremarkableinthat；hewasonlyflungbyakindofwrestlingtrick，whichhecouldeasilyhavebaffledhadhebeenawareofit。“Youwillnotdothatagain，sir，“saidhe，ashegotupandputhimselfonhisguard。Thefellowlaughedagainmorestrangelyandawkwardlythanbefore；then，bendinghisbodyandmovinghisheadfromonesidetotheotherasacatdoesbeforeshesprings，andcryingout，“Here’sforye，sodger!“hemadeadartatBagg，rushinginwithhisheadforemost。“Thatwilldo，sir，“saysBagg，and，drawinghimselfback，heputinaleft-handedblowwithalltheforceofhisbodyandarm，justoverthefellow’srighteye-Baggisaleft-handedhitter，youmustknow-anditwasablowofthatkindwhichwonhimhisfamousbattleatEdinburghwiththebigHighlandsergeant。

Baggsaysthathewasquitesatisfiedwiththeblow，moreespeciallywhenhesawthefellowreel，flingouthisarms，andfalltotheground。“Andnow，sir，“saidhe，“I’llmakeboldtohandyouovertothequartersessions，and，ifthereisahundredpoundsfortakingyou，whohasmorerighttoitthanmyself？“Sohewentforward，buterehecouldlayholdofhismantheotherwasagainonhislegs，andwaspreparedtorenewthecombat。Theygrappledeachother-Baggsayshehadnotmuchfearoftheresult，ashenowfelthimselfthebestman，theotherseeminghalf-stunnedwiththeblow-butjustthentherecameonablast，ahorribleroaringwindbearingnightuponitswings，snow，andsleet，andhail。Baggsayshehadthefellowbythethroatquitefast，ashethought，butsuddenlyhebecamebewildered，andknewnotwherehewas；andthemanseemedtomeltawayfromhisgrasp，andthewindhowledmoreandmore，andthenightpoureddowndarkeranddarker；

thesnowandthesleetthickerandmoreblinding。“Lordhavemercyuponus!“saidBagg。’

MYSELF。Astrangeadventurethat；itiswellthatBagggothomealive。

JOHN。Hesaysthatthefightwasafairfight，andthattheflinghegotwasafairfling，theresultofacommonenoughwrestlingtrick。Butwithrespecttothestorm，whichroseupjustintimetosavethefellow，heisofopinionthatitwasnotfair，butsomethingIrishandsupernatural。

MYSELF。Idaresayhe’sright。IhavereadofwitchcraftintheBible。

JOHN。Hewishesmuchtohaveonemoreencounterwiththefellow；

hesaysthatonfairground，andinfineweather，hehasnodoubtthathecouldmasterhim，andhandhimovertothequartersessions。Hesaysthatahundredpoundswouldbenobadthingtobedisbandedupon；forhewishestotakeaninnatSwantonMorley，keepacock-pit，andliverespectably。

MYSELF。Heisquiteright；andnowkissme，mydarlingbrother，forImustgobackthroughthebogtoTemplemore。

CHAPTERXIII

Groomandcob-Strengthandsymmetry-Where’sthesaddle？-Thefirstride-Nomorefatigue-Loveforhorses-Pursuitofwords-

PhilologistandPegasus-Thesmith-Whatmore，agrah？-

Sassannachtenpence。

ANDitcametopassthat，asIwasstandingbythedoorofthebarrackstable，oneofthegroomscameouttome，saying，’Isay，younggentleman，Iwishyouwouldgivethecobabreathingthisfinemorning。’

’Whydoyouwishmetomounthim？’saidI；’youknowheisdangerous。Isawhimflingyouoffhisbackonlyafewdaysago。’

’Why，that’stheverything，master。I’dratherseeanybodyonhisbackthanmyself；hedoesnotlikeme；but，tothemhedoes，hecanbeasgentleasalamb。’

’Butsuppose，’saidI，’thatheshouldnotlikeme？’

’Weshallsoonseethat，master，’saidthegroom；’and，ifsobeheshowstemper，Iwillbethefirsttotellyoutogetdown。Butthere’snofearofthat；youhaveneverangeredorinsultedhim，andtosuchasyou，Isayagain，he’llbeasgentleasalamb。’

’Andhowcameyoutoinsulthim，’saidI，’knowinghistemperasyoudo？’

’Merelythroughforgetfulness，master：Iwasridinghimaboutamonthago，andhavingastickinmyhand，Istruckhim，thinkingI

wasonanotherhorse，orratherthinkingofnothingatall。Hehasneverforgivenme，thoughbeforethattimehewastheonlyfriendI

hadintheworld；Ishouldliketoseeyouonhim，master。’

’Ishouldsoonbeoffhim；Ican’tride。’