At
all events, I'll ride after the fellow." Thereupon turning my
horse round, I put him to his very best trot; I rode nearly a mile
without obtaining a glimpse of the fellow, and was becoming
apprehensive that he had escaped me by turning down some by-path,
two or three of which I had passed. Suddenly, however, on the road
making a slight turning, I perceived him right before me, moving at
a tolerably swift pace, having by this time probably overcome the
resistance of the animal. Putting my horse to a full gallop, I
shouted at the top of my voice, "Get off that donkey, you rascal,
and give her up to me, or I'll ride you down." The fellow hearing
the thunder of the horse's hoofs behind him, drew up on one side of
the road. "What do you want?" said he, as I stopped my charger,
now almost covered with sweat and foam close beside him. "Do you
want to rob me?" "To rob you?" said I. "No! but to take from you
that ass, of which you have just robbed its owner." "I have robbed
no man," said the fellow; "I just now purchased it fairly of its
master, and the law will give it to me; he asked six pounds for it,
and I gave him six pounds." "Six stones, you mean, you rascal,"
said I; "get down, or my horse shall be upon you in a moment;" then
with a motion of my reins, I caused the horse to rear, pressing his
sides with my heels as if I intended to make him leap.
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