So impatient (resumed Martin) was the King to enter the Brotherhood,
that he abandoned his idea of visiting the Huddle Stone and the
Wapping Thorp (which would have taken him out of his course), and,
without even waiting to break his fast, leaped on to Pepper's back
and turned her head southwest towards the hills. And in his
eagerness he failed to remark how Pepper stumbled at every second
step. Before he had gone a mile he came to the Guess Gate.

Of the Guess Gate, as you may know, all men ask a question in
passing through, and in the back-swing of the Gate it creaks an
answer. So nothing more natural than that the King, having flung the
Gate open, should cry aloud once more:

"Gate, Gate! What should a King do in a Barn?"

"Now at last," thought he, "I shall be told whether to dance or to
pray in it." And he stood listening eagerly as the Gate hung an
instant on its outward journey and then began to creak home.

"He--should--rule--in--it--he--should--rule--in--it--he--should--"
squeaked the Guess Gate, and then latch clicked and it was silent.

This disconcerted William.

"Now I am worse off than ever," he sighed. "Pray, Pepper, can this
advice be bettered?"

As usual when he questioned her, the nag pricked up her ears and
whinnied so violently that he nearly fell off her back.