Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 315: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

PICKWICK ABRUAD. 203 time put ourselves under the direction of our friends, Scuttle and Walker, who have been here before ?”’ This proposition was immediately agreed to; and Mr. Weller having requested the company, in a tolerably audible voice, ‘“ never to say die, the necessary commands were issued to the landlord, and the parties sallied forth in the direction of the church, whither Mr. Scuttle led them over a muiidy field, which he was pleased to denominate a ** short cut.” | “ How I wish I'd a gun here,” said Mr. Winkle, drawing his right foot out of a deep hole into which he had tripped: ‘‘ there ought to be capital sport about here.” “ Shooting in June!’’ exclaimed Mr. Tupman, with a look of un- feigned horror, as he espied an old cow tranquilly feeding at a little distance. ‘ But, I say, Winkle—do you see that —that—” “That what ?” cried Mr. Winkle, casting a searching glance around, and drawing close to his friend’s side. “That bull,” said Mr. Tupman. ‘“‘ Doesn't he seem very savage ?”” ‘So wery savage, Sir,” interrupted Mr. Weller, who had overheard this dialogue, ‘‘ that I vouldn’t be them butter-cups and daisies for a tritle. Blestif 1 don’t think he’ll dewour’em all!” “I’m not afraid of English cattle,’’ observed Mr. Winkle, ‘because , I know them. But French bulls—” ‘©Tg vorser than Irish vons, Sir,”” added Sam. ‘“‘ Winkle, I’m ashamed of you,” said Mr. Pickwick, sternly. “ You ought to feel your own importance, Sir, and know that man is the lord of the creation. His sagacity and boundless talents have placed all other living things within his power: the largest animals become his prey as well as—”’ t this moment, Just as every one present was regarding the vener- able orator with the deepest attention and respect, the aged cow before alluded to, made a sudden start, and set off in a smart trot towards that part of the field in which the party was walking. Mr. Pickwick was the first to perceive this strange movement; and, prompted by that sagacity and boundless talent he had just been so hi Ay ex- tolling, he prudently took to his heels, and never once looked behind him till he had crossed the adjacent stile, and was beyond the reach of danger. On a subsequent occasion, Mr. Chitty, in a letter to a friend thus poetically described this important event :—‘“‘ As the winged lightnings dart from the clouded canopy above, when the Almighty has unbarred their adamantine gates, so did the great Pickwick run like the devil when an old cow was after him.” No sooner did Mr. Tupman and Mr. Winkle perceive their great leader thus practically demonstrate the truth of his positions, than they recollected their vows, which obliged them to follow whither he might lead; and with the same promptitude which he had deemed it expe- dient to adopt, did they also rush towards the stile, followed by the no less prudent Mr. Walker, who subsequently declared ‘ that it was not a part of his system to be tossed by a bull at half-past one o'clock iz the afternoon.” Mr. Nassau Siffkin invoked the presence of every calamity if such methods of proceeding were not perfectly ridiculous; Mrs. Weston laughed as heartily as if she had been enjoying a new farce; Mr. Scuttle fancied it was a running-match, and took to bis a S = a JOO cS co