"
For the first time, I remarked that the animals were snorting and
rearing as if they wished to break through the house. The man
called to them by their names, and ordered them to be quiet; but
they raged still the more furiously. He then roused his drowsy
companions, who were alike alarmed at the panic of the horses,
all of them declaring that they had never seen either Mause or
jolly start in their lives before. My bed-fellow and another then
ventured down the ladder, and I heard one of them then saying:
"Lord be wi' us! What can be i' the house? The sweat's rinning off
the poor beasts like water."
They agreed to sally out together, and if possible to reach the
kitchen and bring a light. I was glad at this, but not so much so
when I heard the one man saying to the other, in a whisper: "I
wish that stranger man may be canny enough."
"God kens!" said the other. "It does nae look unco weel."
The lad in the other bed, hearing this, set up his head in manifest
affright as the other two departed for the kitchen; and, I believed
he would have been glad to have been in their company. This lad
was next the ladder, at which I was extremely glad, for, had he
not been there, the world should not have induced me to wait the
return of these two men.
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