For the rest, he wore drab breeches, with certain strings at the knee, a rather gay waistcoat, and tolerably white shirt; under his arm he bore a mighty whip of whalebone with a brass knob, and upon his head was a hat without either top or brim.
"There, Jasper! shake hands with the sap-engro." "Can he box, father ?" said Jasper, surveying me rather contemptuously.
"I should think not, he looks so puny and small." "Hold your peace, fool!" said the man; "he can do more than that--I tell you he's fly: he carries a sap about, which would sting a ninny like you to dead." "What, a sap-engro!" said the boy, with a singular whine, and stooping down, he leered curiously in my face, kindly, however and then patted me on the head.

"A sap-engro," he ejaculated; "lor!" "Yes, and one of the right sort," said the man; "I am glad we have met with him, he is going to list with us, and be our clergyman and God Almighty, a'n't you, my tawny ?" "I don't know," said I; "I must see what my father will say." "Your father; bah!"-- but here he stopped, for a sound was heard like the rapid galloping of a horse, not loud and distinct as on a road, but dull and heavy as if upon a grass sward; nearer and nearer it came, and the man, starting up, rushed out of the tent, and looked around anxiously.

I arose from the stool upon which I had been seated, and just at that moment, amidst a crashing of boughs and sticks, a man on horseback bounded over the hedge into the lane at a few yards' distance from where we were: from the impetus of the leap the horse was nearly down on his knees; the rider, however, by dint of vigorous handling of the reins, prevented him from falling, and then rode up to the tent.

"'Tis Nat," said the man; "what brings him here ?" The new comer was a stout burly fellow, about the middle age; he had a savage determined look, and his face was nearly covered over with carbuncles; he wore a broad slouching hat, and was dressed in a grey coat cut in a fashion which I afterwards learnt to be the genuine Newmarket cut, the skirts being exceedingly short; his waistcoat was of red plush, and he wore broad corduroy breeches and white top-boots.

The steed which carried him was of iron grey, spirited and powerful, but covered with sweat and foam.