"Never for a minute did the summoner stop talking, he was as full of
prying questions as a dog's skin of hairs. 'Tell me,' he said, 'where
do you dwell?' 'Away in the north country,' answered the yeoman,
'where I hope I shall see you one of these days.' 'What is the way
thither?' the summoner went on. 'Ere we part,' was the answer, 'I
will make it all clear to you.' 'Tell me,' said the summoner again,
'since we be two of a trade, have you any tricks that might be of
service to me in my work? I am not a man to stick at trifles, so if
you know of any ruses, even if they are not _quite_ honest, I should
be glad to hear them,' 'We are alike again,' replied the yeoman. 'My
master is a niggard and I have to make what I can my own way; I must
say I do not do so badly out of it.' 'You are a man after my own
heart,' continued the summoner. 'Come, tell me your name.' At this
the yeoman began to smile. 'Do you really wish to know? Well, then, I
am a fiend from Hell and I range the world seeking what men will give
me,' 'Is that truly so?' said the summoner. 'I thought you a man as I
am. Can you change your shape at will?' 'Yes, truly,' the other
answered. 'In whatever guise we may best accomplish our purpose--that
we wear. We go on all errands, God's and the Devil's, and some we
torment for their soul's good, as we did Job, but some we take body
and soul together,'

"By this time they were quite close to the town for which they were
bound. In the muddy road was a carter with a waggon of hay. The wain
had sunk in down to the axle-trees and the three horses had not the
strength to drag it out of the mire. The carter was yelling at his
horses, 'Gee-up, Jock! Gee-up, Bessy! Pull, my beauties, pull!' And
when they failed to move the cart, 'The demons take you, cart and
all! Pull away, or the fiend catch you!' When he heard the carter