"It was well for me that I took this precaution; for we had not gone
much farther when we met a party of the miners; and, as I sat wedged up
in a corner behind a heap of parcels, I heard the voice of Clarke, who
asked the waggoner as he passed us, 'What o'clock it might be?' I kept
myself quite snug till he was out of sight; nay, long afterwards, I was
content to sit within the waggon, rather than venture out; and I
amused myself with listening to the bells of the team, which jingled
continually.

"On our second day's journey, however, I ventured out of my
hiding-place; I walked with the waggoner up and down the hills, enjoying
the fresh air, the singing of the birds, and the delightful smell of the
honey-suckles and the dog-roses in the hedges. All these wild flowers,
and even the weeds on the banks by the way-side, were to me matters
of wonder and admiration. At every step, almost, I paused to observe
something that was new to me; and I could not help feeling surprised
at the insensibility of my fellow-traveller, who plodded on, seldom
interrupting his whistling, except to cry, 'Gee, Blackbird, aw, woa;'
or, 'How now, Smiler;' and certain other words or sounds of menace
and encouragement, addressed to his horses in a language which seemed
intelligible to them and to him, though utterly incomprehensible to me.

"Once, as I was in admiration of a plant, whose stem was about two feet
high, and which had a round, shining, pale purple, beautiful flower, the
waggoner, with a look of extreme scorn, exclaimed, 'Help thee, lad, does
not thee know 'tis a common thistle? Didst thee not know that a thistle
would prick thee?' continued he, laughing at the face I made when I
touched the prickly leaves; 'why my horse Dobbin has more sense by half!
he is not like an ass hunting for thistles.'