WILD SPORT IN BRITTANY. 237 



liis jaw at the same moment. The poor brute, however, never 

 attempted to rise, but, in response to the blow, gave one or two 

 audible sobs. The dejection, too, expressed by his eye seemed 

 to say he would rather die on the spot than carry his hard task- 

 master another yard. But the horse-dealer had handled in his 

 time many such customers "devils at first, and dunghills 

 afterwards," as he described them ; so, instead of manifesting 

 any concern at the refusal of the horse to rise, he proceeded 

 deliberately to gather large handfuls of dry grass and fern, which, 

 placed under his tail, and set on fire, " would," he said, " bring 

 him on his legs in a twinkling." 



Both Keryfan and myself, however, at once interposed, and 

 declared we would not stand by and see a dumb animal so cruelly 

 treated, and that he must adopt some plan less torturing than 

 that of fire to get the horse on his legs again. A gleam of fierce 

 defiance instantly flashed from the horse-dealer's eyes, and, from 

 the attitude he assumed, buttoning up his coat, squaring his 

 elbows, and doubling his spare fist (for he still held his big 

 iron-headed whip in the other hand), I fully expected he would 

 attack us both, there and then, rather than be thwarted in the 

 savage purpose on which he was bent. Notwithstanding this 

 menace, however, Keryfan stepped forward, and with his heel 

 stamped into the wet mire the heap of grass collected by the 

 ruffian an act that seemed to convince him at once that we, 

 too, were disposed to be as resolute as he was and perhaps the 

 rapid calculation that two to one were awkward odds for that one 

 to encounter had an electric effect in causing him to change his 

 tactics, and, instead of a warlike attitude, to assume the air of a 

 man whose right to do as he liked with his own had been grossly 

 outraged. At all events, discretion stepped in opportunely, and 

 instead of doing battle with his fists, he satisfied himself by doing 

 it vigorously with his tongue. 



"Who's going to pay for this horse, then?" he inquired 



