over his green coat, and was accompanied by a horsewoman, his daughter, a young lady of the most charming appearance. They overtook us on a stretch of heath, reined up as they came alongside, and accompanied us for perhaps a quarter of an hour before they galloped off again across the hillsides to our left. Great was my amazement to find the unconquerable Mr. Sim thaw immediately on the accost of this strange gentleman, who hailed him with a ready familiarity, proceeded at once to discuss with him the trade of droving and the prices of cattle, and did not disdain to take a pinch from the inevitable ram's horn. Presently I was aware that the stranger's eye was directed on myself; and there ensued a conversation, some of which I could not help overhearing at the time, and the rest have pieced together more or less plausibly from the report of Sim.
"Surely that must be an amateur drover ye have gotten there?" the gentleman seems to have asked.
Sim replied, I was a young gentleman that had a reason of his own to travel privately.
"Well, well, ye must tell me nothing of that. I am in law, you know, and tace is the Latin for a candle," answered the gentleman. "But I hope it's nothing bad."
Sim told him it was no more than debt.
"O, Lord, if that be all!" cried the gentleman; and, turning to myself, "Well, sir," he added, "I understand you are taking a tramp through our forest here for the pleasure of the thing?"
"Why, yes, sir," said I; "and I must say I am very well entertained."
"I envy you," said he. "I have jogged many miles of it myself when I was younger. My youth lies buried about here under every heather-bush, like the soul of the licentiate Lucius. But you should have a guide. The
