This lasted until Tressilian,from very weariness,stood still,and was about to abandon the pursuit with a hearty curse on the ill-favoured urchin,who had engaged him in an exercise so ridiculous.But the boy,who had,as formerly,planted himself on the top of a hillock close in front,began to clap his long,thin hands,point with his skinny fingers,and twist his wild and ugly features into such an extravagant expression of laughter and derision,that Tressilian began half to doubt whether he had not in view an actual hobgoblin.
Provoked extremely,yet at the same time feeling an irresistible desire to laugh,so very odd were the boy's grimaces and gesticulations,the Cornishman returned to his horse,and mounted him with the purpose of pursuing ****ie at more advantage.
The boy no sooner saw him mount his horse,than he holloed out to him that,rather than he should spoil his white-footed nag,he would come to him,on condition he would keep his fingers to himself.
I will make no conditions with thee,thou ugly varlet!said Tressilian;I will have thee at my mercy in a moment.Aha,Master Traveller,said the boy,there is a marsh hard by would swallow all the horses of the Queen's guard.I will into it,and see where you will go then.You shall hear the bittern bump,and the wild-drake quack,ere you get hold of me without my consent,I promise you.Tressilian looked out,and,from the appearance of the ground behind the hillock,believed it might be as the boy said,and accordingly determined to strike up a peace with so light-footed and ready-witted an enemy.Come down,he said,thou mischievous brat!Leave thy mopping and mowing,and,come hither.
I will do thee no harm,as I am a gentleman.The boy answered his invitation with the utmost confidence,and danced down from his stance with a galliard sort of step,keeping his eye at the same time fixed on Tressilian's,who,once more dismounted,stood with his horse's bridle in his hand,breathless,and half exhausted with his fruitless exercise,though not one drop of moisture appeared on the freckled forehead of the urchin,which looked like a piece of dry and discoloured parchment,drawn tight across the brow of a fleshless skull.
And tell me,said Tressilian,why you use me thus,thou mischievous imp?or what your meaning is by telling me so absurd a legend as you wished but now to put on me?Or rather show me,in good earnest,this smith's forge,and I will give thee what will buy thee apples through the whole winter.Were you to give me an orchard of apples,said ****ie Sludge,I can guide thee no better than I have done.Lay down the silver token on the flat stone--whistle three times--then come sit down on the western side of the thicket of gorse.I will sit by you,and give you free leave to wring my head off,unless you hear the smith at work within two minutes after we are seated.I may be tempted to take thee at thy word,said Tressilian,if you make me do aught half so ridiculous for your own mischievous sport;however,I will prove your spell.Here,then,I tie my horse to this upright stone.I must lay my silver groat here,and whistle three times,sayest thou?Ay,but thou must whistle louder than an unfledged ousel,said the boy,as Tressilian,having laid down his money,and half ashamed of the folly he practised,made a careless whistle--you must whistle louder than that,for who knows where the smith is that you call for?He may be in the King of France's stables for what I know.Why,you said but now he was no devil,replied Tressilian.
Man or devil,said ****ie,I see that I must summon him for you;and therewithal he whistled sharp and shrill,with an acuteness of sound that almost thrilled through Tressilian's brain.That is what I call whistling,said he,after he had repeated the signal thrice;and now to cover,to cover,or Whitefoot will not be shod this day.Tressilian,musing what the upshot of this mummery was to be,yet satisfied there was to be some serious result,by the confidence with which the boy had put himself in his power,suffered himself to be conducted to that side of the little thicket of gorse and brushwood which was farthest from the circle of stones,and there sat down;and as it occurred to him that,after all,this might be a trick for stealing his horse,he kept his hand on the boy's collar,determined to make him hostage for its safety.
Now,hush and listen,said ****ie,in a low whisper;you will soon hear the tack of a hammer that was never forged of earthly iron,for the stone it was made of was shot from the moon.And in effect Tressilian did immediately hear the light stroke of a hammer,as when a farrier is at work.The singularity of such a sound,in so very lonely a place,made him involuntarily start;but looking at the boy,and discovering,by the arch malicious expression of his countenance,that the urchin saw and enjoyed his slight tremor,he became convinced that the whole was a concerted stratagem,and determined to know by whom,or for what purpose,the trick was played off.
Accordingly,he remained perfectly quiet all the time that the hammer continued to sound,being about the space usually employed in fixing a horse-shoe.But the instant the sound ceased,Tressilian,instead of interposing the space of time which his guide had required,started up with his sword in his hand,ran round the thicket,and confronted a man in a farrier's leathern apron,but otherwise fantastically attired in a bear-skin dressed with the fur on,and a cap of the same,which almost hid the sooty and begrimed features of the wearer.Come back,come back!cried the boy to Tressilian,or you will be torn to pieces;no man lives that looks on him.In fact,the invisible smith (now fully visible)heaved up his hammer,and showed symptoms of doing battle.