the gallant smith. A judge of the animal might see in his eye a
spark of that vicious temper which is frequently the accompaniment
of the form that is most vigorous and enduring; but the weight, the
hand, and the seat of the rider, added to the late regular exercise
of a long journey, had subdued his stubbornness for the present.
He was accompanied by the honest bonnet maker, who being, as the
reader is aware, a little round man, and what is vulgarly called
duck legged, had planted himself like a red pincushion (for he
was wrapped in a scarlet cloak, over which he had slung a hawking
pouch), on the top of a great saddle, which he might be said rather
to be perched upon than to bestride. The saddle and the man were
girthed on the ridge bone of a great trampling Flemish mare, with
a nose turned up in the air like a camel, a huge fleece of hair at
each foot, and every hoof full as large in circumference as a frying
pan. The contrast between the beast and the rider was so extremely
extraordinary, that, whilst chance passengers contented themselves
with wondering how he got up, his friends were anticipating with
sorrow the perils which must attend his coming down again; for the
high seated horseman's feet did not by any means come beneath the
laps of the saddle. He had associated himself to the smith, whose
motions he had watched for the purpose of joining him; for it
was Oliver Proudfute's opinion that men of action showed to most
advantage when beside each other; and he was delighted when some wag
of the lower class had gravity enough to cry out, without laughing
outright: "There goes the pride of Perth--there go the slashing
craftsmen, the jolly Smith of the Wynd and the bold bonnet maker!"

It is true, the fellow who gave this all hail thrust his tongue
in his cheek to some scapegraces like himself; but as the bonnet
maker did not see this byplay, he generously threw him a silver