that Bob would stop, and would content himself with going at a quieter
pace the rest of the way. Scarcely had he formed this wise resolution,
when Bob cleared the ditch at one spring; the jerk came so suddenly, and
was so little expected by John, that he made the finest somerset in the
world over Bob's head, and was set down quite safely on his feet, about
four yards beyond the ditch. Bob, in the mean time, seemed quite satisfied
with the revenge he had had, and stopped directly; and he was busy
regaling himself on the fresh grass that grew around him by the time John
had regained sufficient composure to know where he was.

As soon as he could think, he became convinced he had been a very foolish
boy; and, therefore, determined he would mount Bob no more that day, as it
was better for Mr. Martin to wait a little longer for him, than to risk
giving him the trouble of nursing him with a broken leg, like poor David
Little. He therefore took hold of the bridle and led Bob along the road,
till he reached Jenny Kerr's, where he found that Archie was not at home,
but gone up the glen as far as Mr. Hume's, to show him the urn and the
coins. John thought he could not go back and have nothing to tell but his
own disaster. He therefore begged Jenny to direct him towards Mr. Hume's;
and, having fastened Bob up safely, he set out on foot in search of
Archie. As he had to cross the water in order to get to Mr. Hume's house,
Jenny advised him to take Archie's stilts, two long pieces of wood, with a
sort of step fastened on each, about the middle, wide enough to hold a
man's foot, and which are in common use among all ranks in that country
for crossing the river, where the depth will not admit of stepping stones.
She said, he must on no account attempt crossing the river without them,
for the danger was increased by the rains which had swollen the river
considerably.

John had never before _stilted_ the water, as it is called, but he