He laughed for jollity.  An extraordinary number of emotions had possession of me:  the most intelligible one being a restless vexation at myself, as the principal person concerned, for not experiencing anything like the farmer’s happiness.  I preferred a gipsy life to Riversley.  Gipsies were on the road, and that road led to my father.  I endeavoured to explain to Farmer Eckerthy that I was travelling in this direction merely to have a short look at Riversley; but it was impossible; he could not understand me.  The more I tried, the more he pressed me to finish my glass of ale, which had nothing to do with it.  I drank, nevertheless, and I suppose said many funny things in my anxiety that the farmer should know what I meant; he laughed enough.

While he was fielding against the opposite eleven, the tramp came into the booth, and we had a match of cunning.

‘Schoolmaster’s out after you, young gentleman,’ said he, advising me to hurry along the road if I sought to baffle pursuit.

I pretended alarm, and then said, ‘Oh, you’ll stand by me,’ and treated him to ale.

He assured me I left as many tracks behind me as if I went spilling a box of lucifer-matches.  He was always for my hastening on until I ordered fresh ale for him.  The girl and he grimaced at one another in contempt.  So we remained seeing the game out.  By the time the game ended, the tramp had drunk numbers of glasses of ale.

‘A fine-flavoured fat goose,’ he counted his gains since the commencement of our acquaintance, ’bottles of ale and ginger-pop, two half-crowns, more ale, and more to follow, let’s hope.  You only stick to your friends, young gentleman, won’t you, sir?  It’s a hard case for a poor man like me if you don’t.  We ain’t got such chances every morning of our lives.  Do you perceive, sir?  I request you to inform me, do you perceive, sir?  I’m muddled a bit, sir, but a man must look after his interests.’

I perceived he was so muddled as to be unable to conceal that his interests were involved in my capture; but I was merry too.  Farmer Eckerthy dealt the tramp a scattering slap on the back when he returned to the booth, elated at having beaten the enemy by a single run.

’Master Harry Richmond go to Riversley to his grandfather in your company, you scoundrel!’ he cried in a rage, after listening to him.  ’I mean to drive him over.  It ’s a comfortable ten-mile, and no more.  But I say, Master Harry, what do you say to a peck o’ supper?’

He communicated to me confidentially that he did not like to seem to slink away from the others, who had made up their minds to stop and sup; so we would drive home by moonlight, singing songs.  And so we did.  I sat beside the farmer, the girl scrambled into the hinder part of the cart, and the tramp stood moaning, ’Oh dear! oh dear! you goes away to Riversley without your best friend.’

I tossed him a shilling.  We sang beginnings and ends of songs.  The farmer looked at the moon, and said, ‘Lord! she stares at us!’ Then he sang: