The Hunt in Literature 29 



Bryce and Keating were there, as Dunstan was 

 quite sure they would be — he was such a lucky 

 fellow. 



" Heyday," said Bryce, who had long had his 

 eye on Wildfire, "you're on your brother's horse 

 to-day : how's that ? " 



" Oh, I've swopped with him," said Dunstan, 

 whose delight in lying, grandly independent of 

 utility, was not to be diminished by the likelihood 

 that his hearer would not believe him ; " Wildfire's 

 mine now." 



" What ! has he swopped with you for that big- 

 boned hack of yours ? " said Bryce, quite aware he 

 would get another lie in answer. 



" Oh, there was a little account between us," 

 said Dunsey carelessly, " and Wildfire made it even. 

 I accommodated him by taking the horse, though 

 it was against my will, for I'd got an itch for a 

 mare of Jortin's — as rare a bit of blood as ever you 

 threw your leg across. But I shall keep Wildfire, 

 now I've got him, though I'd a bid of a hundred 

 and fifty for him the other day, from a man over at 

 Flitton — he's buying for Lord Cromleck — a fellow 

 with a cast in his eye, and a green waistcoat. But 

 I mean to stick to Wildfire ; I shan't get a better 

 at a fence in a hurry. The mare's got more blood, 

 but she's a bit too weak in the hind-quarters." 



Bryce, of course, divined that Dunstan wanted 

 to sell the horse, and Dunstan knew that he 

 divined it (horse-dealing is only one of many 

 human transactions carried on in this ingenious 

 manner) ; and they both considered that the bar- 

 gain was in its first stage, when Bryce replied 

 ironically — 



" I wonder at that now ; I wonder you mean 

 to keep him ; for I never heard of a man who 



