IN SEARCH OP A HORSE. 85 



across him, but all in vain ; defeated and mortified I 

 returned home, leaving directions to sell him. My 

 warranty did not extend to safety in mounting. I 

 had not been home an hour, before word was brought 

 that he had kicked an ostler and laid him up ! I 

 was of course bound to indemnify as well as cure the 

 sufferer; and sent the savage brute to Osborn's. 

 The next morning a second groom received a kick 

 that cost me another guinea. I sent him to the 

 hammer as a vicious horse. He was sold for more 

 than he cost, but not until he had sent me a third 

 claimant for compensation ! It was a dealer that 

 bought him, and he certainly found a discipline to 

 cure his vice. He killed hjm in less than a month ! 



I was curious to learn the reason of his extreme 

 docility for the first three days after I had him. By 

 a fee to some of the understrappers at the stables I 

 soon arrived at the truth. He had been tied up to 

 the rack both day and night for a week before, and 

 never allowed to sleep except standing ! enough to 

 tame a tiger, it must be confessed. I lost nothing 

 by him, however, and I gained both a specific for a 

 vicious horse, and a wholesome apprehension of 

 "gentlemen." But I was not yet cured of my pre- 



