from the public-house, where he had been smoking his first pipe, Mr. Pickwick and his portmanteau were thrown into the vehicle.

“Golden Cross,” said Mr. Pickwick.

“Only a bob’s vorth, Tommy,” cried the driver, sulkily, for the information of his friend the waterman, as the cab drove off.

“How old is that horse, my friend?” inquired Mr. Pickwick, rubbing his nose with the shilling he had reserved for the fare.

“Forty-two,” replied the driver, eyeing him askant.

“What!” ejaculated Mr. Pickwick, laying his hand upon his note-book. The driver reiterated his former statement. Mr. Pickwick looked very hard at the man’s face, but his features were immovable, so he noted down the fact forthwith.

“And how long do you keep him out at a time?” inquired Mr. Pickwick, searching for further information.

“Two or three veeks,” replied the man.

“Weeks!” said Mr. Pickwick in astonishment—and out came the note-book again.

“He lives at Pentonwil when he’s at home,” observed the driver coolly, “but we seldom takes him home, on account of his veakness.”

“On account of his weakness!” reiterated the perplexed Mr. Pickwick.

“He always falls down when he’s took out o’ the cab,” continued the driver, “but when he’s in it, we bears him up wery tight, and takes him in wery short, so as he can’t wery well fall down; and we’ve got a pair o’ precious large wheels on, so ven he[9] does move, they run after him, and he must go on—he can’t help it.”

[9]

Mr. Pickwick entered every word of this statement in his note-book, with the view of communicating it to the club, as a singular instance of the tenacity of life in horses, under trying circumstances. The entry was scarcely completed when they reached the Golden Cross. Down jumped the driver, and out got Mr. Pickwick. Mr. Tupman, Mr. Snodgrass, and Mr. Winkle, who had been anxiously waiting the arrival of their illustrious leader, crowded to welcome him.

“Weeks!” said Mr. Pickwick in astonishment—and out came the note-book again

“Here’s your fare,” said Mr. Pickwick, holding out the shilling to the driver.

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