Now, then, `Basket,' steady." The horse made the chains rattle as he stuck the edges of his hoofs into the gravel, the wheels turned, the great axle-tree rattled; there was a swing of the load to left and another to right, a bump or two, and we were out in the lane, going steadily along upon a lovely starlight night.
As soon as we were clear of the yard, and Shock could be heard closing the gates and rattling up the bar, Ike gave his long cart-whip three tremendous cracks, and I expected to see "Basket" start off in a lumbering trot; but he paid not the slightest heed to the sharp reports, and it was evidently only a matter of habit, for Ike stuck the whip directly after in an iron loop close by where the horse's great well-filled nose-bag was strapped to the front-ladder, beneath which there was a sack fairly filled with good old hay.
"Yes," said Ike, seeing the direction of my eyes, "we don't starve the old hoss; do we, Bonyparty ?" He slapped the horse's haunch affectionately, and Basket wagged his tail, while the cart jolted on.
The clock was striking eleven, and sounded mellow and sweet on the night air as we made for the main road, having just ten miles to go to reach the market, only a short journey in these railway times, but one which it took the bony old horse exactly five hours to compass.
"It seems a deal," I said.

"I could walk it in much less time." "Well, yes, Master Grant," said Ike, rubbing his nose; "it do seem a deal, five hours--two mile an hour; but a horse is a boss, and you can't make nothing else out of him till he's dead.

I've been to market with him hunderds upon hunderds of times, and he says it's five hours' work, and he takes five hours to do it in; no more, and no less.

P'r'a'ps I might get him up sooner if I used the whip; but how would you like any one to use a whip on you when you was picking apples or counting baskets of strawbys into a wan ?" "Not at all," I said, laughing.
"Well, then, what call is there to use it on a boss?
He knows what he can do, and he doos it." "Has Mr Brownsmith had him long ?" "Has _Old_ Brownsmith had him long ?" he said correctively.

"Oh, yes! ages.