IN SEARCH OP A HORSE. 53 



these men treat a customer with fairness and hones- 

 ty : I am therefore entitled to presume that such is 

 their general system — for so entirely am I a stranger 

 to them, that though I believe they all know me 

 very well by name, I have not received even the 

 simple acknowledgment of thanks from more than 

 one of them, for the recommendation that I have 

 here given of their stables. I do not, however, 

 blame them for their omission, though it seems a lit- 

 tle ungrateful. My real object, and of that they are 

 probably sensible, is to benefit my readers rather 

 than the trade. Till I find that they treat me ill, I 

 shall continue to expresss the same opinion. 



The horses of such dealers are generally high-pric- 

 ed, and I have seen many among them which I 

 would not buy at any price ; but still I should go 

 with confidence to their stables. 



My reader must here forgive me for another sug- 

 gestion of a personal nature. To betray distrust is 

 the sure way to be deceived : if you walk into a sta- 

 ble with an air of gratifying curiosity, criticise 

 horses merely to affect a knowledge, and ask for 

 prices as if to contrast them with prices elsewhere, 

 and to feel the market rather than " do business," it 



