offence committed, he must rather impute it to his servant than
himself, since he neither directed him to drive that way, nor knew
which way he drove." Yet added, "That he was going to such an inn
at the town, whither if he came he would make him full satisfaction
for whatsoever damage he had sustained thereby." And so on we went,
the man venting his discontent, as he went back, in angry accents.
At the town, upon inquiry, we understood that it was a way often
used, and without damage, being broad enough; but that it was not
the common road, which yet lay not far from it, and was also good
enough; wherefore my father bid his man drive home that way.

It was late in the evening when we returned, and very dark; and this
quarrelsome man, who had troubled himself and us in the morning,
having gotten another lusty fellow like himself to assist him,
waylaid us in the night, expecting we would return the same way we
came. But when they found we did not, but took the common way,
they, angry that they were disappointed, and loth to lose their
purpose (which was to put an abuse upon us), coasted over to us in
the dark, and laying hold on the horses' bridles, stopped them from
going on. My father, asking his man what the reason was that he
went not on, was answered, "That there were two men at the horses'
heads, who held them back, and would not suffer them to go forward."
Whereupon my father, opening the boot, stepped out, and I followed
close at his heels. Going up to the place where the men stood, he
demanded of them the meaning of this assault. They said, "We were
upon the corn." We knew by the route we were not on the corn, but
in the common way, and told them so; but they told us, "They were
resolved they would not let us go on any farther, but would make us
go back again." My father endeavoured by gentle reasoning to
persuade them to forbear, and not run themselves farther into the