Besides the pony, the cart, and the tent, I found I was possessed of a mattress stuffed with straw on which to lie, and a blanket to cover me, the last quite clean and nearly new; then there was a frying-pan and a kettle, the first for cooking any food which required cooking, and the second for heating any water which I might wish to heat.  I likewise found an earthen teapot and two or three cups; of the first I should rather say I found the remains, it being broken in three parts, no doubt since it came into my possession, which would have precluded the possibility of my asking anybody to tea for the present, should anybody visit me, even supposing I had tea and sugar, which was not the case.  I then overhauled what might more strictly be called the stock in trade; this consisted of various tools, an iron ladle, a chafing-pan and small bellows, sundry pans and kettles, the latter being of tin, with the exception of one which was of copper, all in a state of considerable dilapidation—­if I may use the term; of these first Slingsby had spoken in particular, advising me to mend them as soon as possible, and to endeavour to sell them, in order that I might have the satisfaction of receiving some return upon the outlay which I had made.  There was likewise a small quantity of block tin, sheet tin, and solder.  ’This Slingsby,’ said I, ’is certainly a very honest man, he has sold me more than my money’s worth; I believe, however, there is something more in the cart.’  Thereupon I rummaged the farther end of the cart, and, amidst a quantity of straw, I found a small anvil and bellows of that kind which are used in forges, and two hammers such as smiths use, one great, and the other small.

The sight of these last articles caused me no little surprise, as no word which had escaped from the mouth of Slingsby had given me reason to suppose that he had ever followed the occupation of a smith; yet, if he had not, how did he come by them?  I sat down upon the shaft, and pondered the question deliberately in my mind; at length I concluded that he had come by them by one of those numerous casualties which occur upon the roads, of which I, being a young hand upon the roads, must have a very imperfect conception; honestly, of course—­for I scouted the idea that Slingsby would have stolen this blacksmith’s gear—­for I had the highest opinion of his honesty, which opinion I still retain at the present day, which is upwards of twenty years from the time of which I am speaking, during the whole of which period I have neither seen the poor fellow nor received any intelligence of him.

CHAPTER LXX

New profession—­Beautiful night—­Jupiter—­Sharp and shrill—­The Rommany chi—­All alone—­Three-and-sixpence—­What is Rommany?  Be civil—­Parraco tute—­Slight start—­She will be grateful—­The rustling.

I passed the greater part of the day in endeavouring to teach myself the mysteries of my new profession.  I cannot say that I was very successful, but the time passed agreeably, and was therefore not ill spent.  Towards evening I flung my work aside, took some refreshment, and afterwards a walk.