[28] “Warn,”—contraction of the word “warrant.”
CHAPTER VI.
Next morning I got up early, for I wasn’t quite easy in my mind about riding Joe’s old horse, and so I thought I would just go round and look at him, and ask the fogger something about his ways. It was a splendid morning, not a cloud to be seen. I found the fogger strapping away at the horses. Everybody had been up and about since daylight, to get their day’s work done, so that they might get away early to the pastime. All the cows had been milked and turned out again, and Joe was away in the fields, looking after his men.
I stood beating about the bush for some time, for I didn’t want to let the man see what I was thinking of if I could help it. However, when he brought out the old brown horse to clean him down, I went up and patted him, and asked whether he was a good saddle horse.
“Ees, there warn’t much fault to find wi’ un,” said the fogger, stopping his hissing and rubbing for a moment, “leastways for them as didn’t mind a high goer.”
I didn’t quite know what he meant by a high goer, so I asked him if the brown was up to my weight.
“Lor’ bless ’ee, ees. He’d make no account o’ vivteen stun. Be you to ride un up the hill, Sir, make so bold?” said he.