“But the Squire (I thenks I zee un), Varmer Whitfield ridin’ wi’ un, Fot I out o’ all thuck caddle, Stretched athurt the varmer’s zaddle-- Bless ’em, pegs in yeard and stye, Them two vrends as stuck to I.
“Barkshire men, vrom Hill and Vale, All as ever hears this tale, If to spwoort you be inclined, Plaze to bear this here in mind-- Pegs beant made no race to win, Be zhart o’ wind, and tight o’ skin, Dwont’ee hunt ’em, but instead At backswyrd break each other’s yead Cheezes down the manger rowl-- Or try and clim the greasy powl.
“Pegs! in stubble yeard and stye, May you be never zard like I, Nor druv wi greasy ears and tail, By men and bwoys drough White Horse Vale.”
[32] “Cham”--“I am,” a form still used in parts of Somersetshire.
Master George slipped away from me somehow, after the pig-race, so I strolled up into the Castle again. The sports were all over, so the theatres and shows were making a greater noise than ever, but I didn’t feel inclined to go to any of them, and kept walking slowly round the bank on the opposite side, and looking down at the fair. In a minute or two I heard cheering, and saw an open carriage, with postilions, driving out of the Castle, and three or four young ladies and a gentleman or two cantering along with it. I watched them for some way across the downs, and thought how nice it must be to be able to ride well, and to have nice horses to go galloping over the springy downs, into the golden sunset, putting up the larks and beautiful little wheatears; and, besides all that, to have all the people cheering one too! So down I went into the crowd, to find out who they were. It was Lord Craven and his party, the first man I came across told me; and then I quite understood why this carriage should be the only one to come inside the Castle, and why the people should cheer; because, you see, the White Horse, and Dragon’s Hill, and the Manger, all belong to him, and he is very good-natured in letting everybody go there and do pretty much what they please. There were other carriages going off now from the row outside, and coachmen bringing up their horses to harness, and a few of the foot people who came from the longest distances, starting along the Ridgeway, or down the Uffington Road. I was standing watching all this, and thinking how I was to find my party, and whether I should go behind in the four-wheel (which I began to feel very much inclined to do, for I was getting tired, and it would be dark), when I saw Joe bustling about amongst the crowd, and looking out for some one; so I made across to him.