I’m no ignoramus.  I read the newspapers, and knows what’s what.”  “You read them to some purpose,” said I.  “Well, if you are lamed for life, and unfitted for any active line—­turn newspaper editor; I should say you are perfectly qualified, and this day’s adventure may be the foundation of your fortune,” thereupon I turned round and rode off.  The fellow followed me with a torrent of abuse.  “Confound you,” said he—­yet that was not the expression either—­“I know you; you are one of the horse-patrol come down into the country on leave to see your relations.  Confound you, you and the like of you have knocked my business on the head near Lunnon, and I suppose we shall have you shortly in the country.”  “To the newspaper office,” said I, “and fabricate falsehoods out of flint stones;” then touching the horse with my heels, I trotted off, and coming to the place where I had seen the old man, I found him there, risen from the ground, and embracing his ass.

I told him that I was travelling down the road, and said, that if his way lay in the same direction as mine he could do no better than accompany me for some distance, lest the fellow who, for aught I knew, might be hovering nigh, might catch him alone, and again get his ass from him.  After thanking me for my offer, which he said he would accept, he got upon his ass, and we proceeded together down the road.  My new acquaintance said very little of his own accord; and when I asked him a question, answered rather incoherently.  I heard him every now and then say, “Villain!” to himself, after which he would pat the donkey’s neck, from which circumstance I concluded that his mind was occupied with his late adventure.  After travelling about two miles, we reached a place where a drift-way on the right led from the great road; here my companion stopped, and on my asking him whether he was going any farther, he told me that the path to the right was the way to his home.

I was bidding him farewell, when he hemmed once or twice, and said, that as he did not live far off, he hoped that I would go with him and taste some of his mead.  As I had never tasted mead, of which I had frequently read in the compositions of the Welsh bards, and, moreover, felt rather thirsty from the heat of the day, I told him that I should have great pleasure in attending him.  Whereupon, turning off together, we proceeded about half a mile, sometimes between stone walls, and at other times hedges, till we reached a small hamlet, through which we passed, and presently came to a very pretty cottage, delightfully situated within a garden, surrounded by a hedge of woodbines.  Opening a gate at one corner of the garden he led the way to a large shed, which stood partly behind the cottage, which he said was his stable; thereupon he dismounted and led his donkey into the shed, which was without stalls, but had a long rack and manger.  On one side he tied his donkey, after taking off her caparisons, and I followed his example,