Page:Peterruggmissing00austrich.djvu/55

Rh smells his own stable." "Sir," said I to Rugg, practising a little deception, "pray tell me, for I am a stranger here, what river is this, and what city is that opposite? for you seem to be an inhabitant of it." "This river, sir, is called Mystic River, and this is Winnisimet ferry, we have retained the Indian names, and that town is Boston. You must indeed, be a stranger in these parts not to know that yonder town is Boston, the capital of the New England provinces." "Pray, sir, how long have you been absent from Boston?" "Why that I cannot exactly tell. I lately went with this little girl of mine to Concord to see my friends, and I am ashamed to tell you in returning lost the way and have been travelling ever since. No one would direct me right. It is cruel to mislead a traveller. My horse, Lightfoot, has boxed the compass, and it seems to me has boxed it back again. But sir, you perceive my horse is uneasy. Lightfoot, as yet, has given only a hint and a nod. I cannot be answerable for his heels." At these words Lightfoot raised his long tail and snapped it as you would a whip lash. The Hudson reverberated with the sound.