“Dwont’ee, now, call ’em names, Master Gaarge.”
“Good-bye, Betty, and make haste up to the Castle before all the small boys are poisoned. I can give you a lift, Sir,” said he to me, “if you’ll jump up behind.”
I thanked him, and got up behind, by the side of one of the other young gentlemen, who I thought didn’t seem much to like having me there; and I felt very pleased, as we bowled along the Ridgeway, passing all the people who had been laughing at me and the donkey, that they should see that I was in such good company, and should be up at the Castle before any of them.
The whole Ridgeway was alive with holiday folk, some walking with their coats and bonnets off, some in great wagons, some in all sorts of strange vehicles, such as I had never seen before (many of which Master George declared had been impressed by Alfred’s commissariat and hospital staff, in his wars against the Danes, when they were strong young traps); but from one and all there rose up a hum of broad Berkshire, and merry laughter, as we shot by them. Sometimes a yeoman in his gig, or on his stout hackney, would try to keep up with us, or to stop us from passing him, but Master George was a reckless driver, and somehow or another, galloping or trotting, on the right side or the wrong, he would pass; so in about ten minutes we had got over the two miles of downs, and were close up to the Castle.
Here the first thing I saw was Joe, with two other farmers, carrying a lot of little white and pink flags, and measuring ground.
“Please put me down, Sir,” said I, “there’s my friend.”
“Ah, yes,” said Master George, pulling up, “I see—you’re staying with Farmer Hurst. Well, I’m much obliged to you for helping poor old Betty—she’s a good struggling old widow body in our village; I’ve known her ever since I could walk and suck. Good morning, Mr. Hurst; likely to be a good muster to-day.”
“Mornin’, Sir,” said Joe, touching his hat, “I think so—there’s a smart lot of folk in the Castle already.”
“Well, I hope we may meet again,” said Master George to me, “I won’t forget the song for you,”—and away he drove towards the Castle.