Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of Geo. Buchanan.pdf/18

16 and off he goes. About mid day he alighted again at an inn to refresh himself and his horse, and there he chanced to be in company with his other landlord where he was the night before, and charged him with the double reckoning, he addressed himself to him in the following manner:—Sir, says he, I do believe I was in your house yesternight. Oh yes, Sir, says he, I mind of you pretty well. And where was you last night? Last night, says George, I was in one of the finest inns, and the civilest landlord I ever had in my life; they brought all things that, I stood in need of unto me without calling for them, and when I came off this morning, they charged me nothing, and I paid nothing but sixpence to the boy for dressing my horse. Blood and wounds! said the old fellow, then I'll go there this night. Ay, says George, do, and m ad this, when they ask you what you will have for yourself and your horse, answer nothing but, what you will, sir. George smiling within himself, to think how he had got the one extortioner to take amends of the other. So this innkeeper set off on his journey, and rode so late that night that he might reach the cheap inn, that, most of the people were gone to bed before he arrived. As soon as he dismounted from his horse, the boy enquired at him,. What shall I give your horse, master? To which he answered, What you will, boy. The boy hearing this, runs away, (leaving him and his horse to stand at the door), upstairs to his master’s room, crying Master, master, What-you-will is come again. Oh the rogue, cries he, where is he? I’ll cane him—I’ll what you will him, by and by. Then to him he runs with his cane, licks and kicks him until he was scarce able to mount his horse, and would give him no entertainment there, which caused him to ride the whole of a cold winter night, after he had got his bones all beat and