Page:Witty and entertaining exploits of George Buchanan (15).pdf/12

 where the boy was, calling for his horſe, and mounting him with all the ſpeed he could, giving the boy a piece of money, ſaying, Here my boy, this is for your care taking of my horſe, I have paid for all I called for in the houſe, and off he goes. Now 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, who charged him with the double reckoning; ſo George addreſſed himſelf to him after this manner: Sir, ſay's George, I do believe I was in your houſe here yeſternight. yes, Sir, 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 with the civileſt landlord I ever had in my life; they brought all things I ſtood in need of unto me, without calling for it, 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, ſay the old fellow, then I will go there this night. Ay, ſay George, do, and mind this when they aſk you what you will leave for yourſelf and your horſe, anſwer nothing but what you will, Sir: Now George ſmiled within himſelf to think how he had got die one extortioner to take a mends of the other. So the foreſaid inn keeper rode that night, until many of the people of the inn were gone to bed before he came in. No ſooner was he lighted from his horfe, than the boy aſked him what fliáll I give to your horſe, maſter? To which he anſwered, What you will, boy. The boy hearing this, he runs away (leaving him and his horſe to ſtand at the door) up ſtairs to his maſter's room, crying, Maſter, Maſter, What you will it come again! O the rogue, cries he, Where is he? I'll cane him! I'll what you will him by and by! and to him he runs with his cane, licks him 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 length of a cold winter night, after he had got his bones all beat and bruiſed. So the one purſued the other as murderer; and his defence was, that he was a cheat and a ſcorner of his houſe, until the truth was found out. About this time, the French King ſent and demanded from the King of England three men of different