determined toroast it in the embers, and taste a very small bit. "It can hardly,"thought Jack, "do me much hurt, in so very small a quantity; and ifthat agrees with me, I will increase the dose." The root wasfortunately extremely wholesome and nutritive, so that Jack was in avery short time tolerably secure against the danger of wanting food.In this manner did Jack lead a kind of savage, but tolerably contentedlife for several months; during which time he enjoyed perfect health,and was never discovered by any of the natives. He used several timesa day to visit the shore, in hopes that some ship might pass that way,and deliver him from his solitary imprisonment. This, at lengthhappened, by the boat of an English ship, that was sailing to India,happening to touch upon the coast; Jack instantly hailed the crew, andthe officer, upon hearing the story, agreed to receive him; thecaptain too, when he found that Jack was by no means a contemptiblesailor, very willingly gave him his passage, and promised him agratuity besides, if he behaved well.
Jack arrived in India without any accident, and relating his story,was permitted to serve in another regiment, as his own was no longerthere. He soon distinguished himself by his courage and good behaviouron several occasions, and, before long, was advanced to the rank of aserjeant. In this capacity he was ordered out upon an expedition intothe remote parts of the country. The little army in which he servednow marched on for several weeks, through a burning climate, and inwant of all the necessaries of life. At length they entered upon someextensive plains, which bordered upon the celebrated country of theTartars. Jack was perfectly well acquainted with the history of thispeople, and their method of fighting. He knew them to be some of thebest horsemen in the world; indefatigable in their attacks; thoughoften repulsed, returning to the charge, and not to be invaded withimpunity. He therefore took the liberty of observing to some of theofficers, that nothing could be more dangerous than their rashlyengaging themselves in those extensive plains, where they were everymoment exposed to the attacks of cavalry, without any successfulmethod of defence, or place of retreat, in case of any misfortune.These remonstrances were not much attended to; and after a few hoursfarther march, they were alarmed by the approach of a considerablebody of Tartar horsemen. They, however, drew up with all the orderthey were able, and firing several successive vollies, endeavoured tokeep the enemy at a distance. But the Tartars had no design of doingthat with a considerable loss, which they were sure of doing with easeand safety. Instead therefore, of charging the Europeans, theycontented themselves with giving continual alarms, and menacing themon every side, without exposing themselves to any considerable danger.The army now attempted to retreat, hoping that they should be able toarrive at the neighbouring mountains, where they would be safe fromthe incursions of the horse. But in this attempt they were equallydisappointed; for another body of enemies appeared on that side, andblocked their passage. The Europeans now found that they weresurrounded on all sides, and that resistance was vain. The commandingofficer, therefore, judged it expedient to try what could be effectedby negotiation, and sent one of his officers, who understood somethingof the Tartar language, to treat with the general of the enemies. TheTartar chief received the Europeans with great civility, and afterhaving gently reproached them with their ambition, in coming so far toinvade a people who had never injured them, he consented upon verymoderate conditions to their enlargement. But he insisted upon havingtheir arms delivered up, except a very few which he permitted them tokeep for defence in their return, and upon retaining a certain numberof Europeans as hostages for the performance of the stipulatedarticles. Among those who were thus left with the Tartars, Jackhappened to be included; and while all the rest seemed inconsolable atbeing thus made prisoners by a barbarous nation, he alone, accustomedto all the vicissitudes of life, retained his cheerfulness, andprepared to meet every reverse of fortune with his usual firmness.
Jack was enabled thus to support his spirits with fortitude by therecollection of the old Soldier's last advice, "to act on alloccasions as became a soldier and a Christian." He felt a fullreliance upon the goodness of Providence; he knew that God wasinfinitely wiser, and better acquainted with what was befitting eachindividual, than he could be himself. He looked back to the manner inwhich he had been supported in the solitary island, and remembered themercy of God in freeing him from thence. He, therefore, strengthenedhis mind by prayer for the future, and by thanksgiving for theprotection he had hitherto enjoyed.
The Tartars, among whom Jack was now to reside, constitute severaldifferent tribes or nations, which inhabit an immense extent ofcountry, both in Europe and Asia. Their country is in general open anduncultivated, without cities or towns, such as we see in thesecountries. The inhabitants themselves are a bold and hardy race ofmen, that live in small tents, and change their place of abode withthe different seasons of the year. All their property consists inherds of cattle, which they drive along with them from place to place,and upon whose milk and flesh they subsist. They are particularly fondof horses, of which they have a small but excellent breed, hardy andindefatigable for the purposes of war; and they excel in themanagement of them, beyond what it is easy to conceive. Immense herdsof these animals wander loose about the deserts, but marked with theparticular mark of the person or tribe to which they belong. When theywant any of these animals for use, a certain number of their young menjump upon their horses with nothing but a halter to guide them, eachcarrying in his hand a pole, with a noose of cord at the end. Whenthey come in sight of the herd they pursue the horse they wish to takeat full speed, come up with him in spite of his swiftness, and neverfail to throw the noose about his neck as he runs. They are frequentlyknown to jump upon young horses that have passed their whole life inthe desert, and, with only a girth around the animal's body to holdby, maintain their seat in spite of all his violent exertions, untilthey have wearied him out, and reduced him to perfect obedience. Suchwas the nation with whom it was the lot of Jack now to reside; nor wasit long before he had an opportunity of shewing his talents.
It happened that a favourite horse of the chief was taken with aviolent fever, and seemed to be in immediate danger of death. TheKhan, for so he is called among the Tartars, seeing his horse growhourly worse, at length applied to the Europeans to know if they couldsuggest any thing for his recovery. All the officers were profoundlyignorant of farriery; but when the application was made to Jack, hedesired to see the horse, and with great gravity began to feel hispulse, by passing his hand within the animal's fore-leg, which gavethe Tartars a very high idea of his ingenuity. Finding the animal in ahigh fever, he proposed to the Khan to let him blood, which he hadlearned to do very dexterously in England. He obtained permission todo as he pleased, and having by great good luck a lancet with him, helet him blood in the neck. After this operation, he covered him up,and gave him a warm potion made out of such ingredients as he couldprocure upon the spot, and left him quiet. In a few hours the horsebegan to mend, and, to the great joy of the Khan, perfectly recoveredin a few days. This cure, so opportunely performed, raised thereputation of Jack so high, that every body came to consult him abouttheir horses, and in a short time he was the universal farrier of thetribe. The Khan himself conceived so great an affection for him, thathe gave him an excellent horse to ride upon, and attend him in hishunting parties; and Jack, who excelled in the art of horsemanship,managed him so well, as to gain the esteem of the whole nation.
The Tartars, though they are excellent horsemen, have no idea ofmanaging their horses, unless by violence; but Jack in a short time,by continual care and attention, made his horse so docile and obedientto every motion of his hand and leg, that the Tartars themselveswould gaze upon him with admiration, and allow themselves to beoutdone. Not contented with this, he procured some iron, and made hishorse shoes in the European taste; this also was matter ofastonishment to all the Tartars, who are accustomed to ride theirhorses unshod. He next observed that the Tartar saddles were allprodigiously large and heavy, raising the horseman up to a greatdistance from the back of his horse. Jack set himself to w
ork, and wasnot long before he had completed something like an English huntingsaddle, on which he paraded before the Khan. All mankind seem to havea passion for novelty; and the Khan was so delighted with this effortof Jack's ingenuity, that after paying him the highest compliments, heintimated a desire of having such a saddle for himself. As Jack wasthe most obliging creature in the world, and spared no labour to servehis friends; he went to work again, and in a short time completed asaddle still more elegant for the Khan. These exertions gained him thefavour and esteem both of the Khan and all the tribe; so that Jack wasan universal favourite, and loaded with presents; while all the restof the officers, who had never learned to make a saddle or ahorse-shoe, were treated with contempt and indifference. Jack, indeed,behaved with the greatest generosity to his countrymen, and dividedwith them all the mutton and venison which were given him; but hecould not help