Page:Entertaining history of Sandford and Merton.pdf/21

 much impreſſed with the ſtory read the preceding evening, in which he had diſcovered the wonderful exploits of ſome Arabian horſemen, he begged his little horſe might be ſaddled for him. He accordingly put on his boots, and ordered Willian to attend him. However, as he dared not aſk for ſpurs, he went to one of the maids, and got from her two large pins, which he very ingeniouſly ſtuck into his boots, and then mounted his horſe.

H had not ridden far, before he gave his horſe a very ſharp prick with his pins. The animal ſet off with him at full gallop, and William knew not whether this ſudden ſtart was from accident or deſign.—Seeing, however, that the horſe galloped over the rougheſt part of the common, while Tommy uſed all his efforts to ſtop him, he thought it prudent to endeavour to overtake him, and therefore purſued him with all poſſible ſpeed. The race continued without any appearance of abatement, when the poney turned ſhort on a ſudden, upon an attempt of his maſter to ſtep him, and ruſhed into a quagmire. This ſtopped him for a moment, and gave Tony an opportunity of flip-