A GUNMAKER'S DODGE. 123 



too old a sportsman not to be fully aware that when any 

 thing was to be accomplished by man and horse, a great 

 deal, if not all, would depend on the rider and the 

 ridden being of the same mind. Thinking it well 

 over, the only conclusion to which I could come was, 

 that, as I " could not command success, I would do 

 more, Horatio, I would deserve it." To my readers 

 those of the strong and graceful hand and the high and 

 chivalrous heart, with the worl yet before them I 

 would recommend the study of the above quotation both 

 in love, the ^chace, and war, for in failure, perhaps, the 

 assertion thus made to Horatio is the only balm to a 

 wounded conscience. 



Every day of my stay in St Louis either added to my 

 list of kind friends, or gave me fresh opportunities of 

 remarking on the peculiarities of that class of the nation 

 devoted to trade, and to observe on the impudence of 

 some of the positions taken up by men in the pursuit of 

 dollars under difficulties. There is in St Louis a remark 

 able instance of this ; it is by no means an isolated one, 

 but it will do for a sample of the others. A highly 

 approved gunmaker establishes his shop, and gains con 

 siderable custom ; another of the same trade, not having 

 been so fortunate, observes that the adjoining shop to 

 the successful tradesman is to be let, and he immediately 

 establishes himself as tenant, the entrance-door to either 

 shop being side by side, and the contents in the window 

 of the new-comer made precisely to match those in the 

 window of his neighbour. In short, the two windows 

 appear to belong to one establishment, the name of the 

 old inhabitant being purposely left in superior characters 

 to that of his aspiring friend. Customers, if they ap 

 proach these Siamese but schismatic tradesmen on the 



