"Why, I wasn't tickling him when he kicked up in the corner there.

But come along or we shall never get that log up to the yard, and father won't like it.

Now, Sol! Open the gate, Tom." Tom opened the gate, and with Dick holding the rein the donkey walked along by his side as meekly as if he had never kicked or shown his teeth with the intention of biting in his life.

The rope was doubled up and thrown over his back; and when they had gone a few yards Dick, without pausing, made a bit of a jump and struggled on to the animal's back, getting himself right aft, as a sailor would say, so that it seemed as if at any moment he might slip off behind.
But Solomon made no objection; he just twitched and wagged his tail for a moment or two, and then put it away out of sight.

For the donkey chained, or rather harnessed, became an obedient slave--a very different creature from the donkey free.
When they reached the dyke where the men were standing delving out the peat, it was to find a group of three fresh arrivals in the persons of Hickathrift the wheelwright, Dave, and John Warren, and all in earnest converse upon some subject.
"Yow may say what yow like," cried Dave, "but fen-land's fen-land, and meant for the wild birds." "And rabbuds," put in John Warren.
"Ay, lad, and rabbuds," assented Dave; "and it weer nivver meant to grow corn and grass.