CAPTAIN SHABBYHOUNDE 257 



probability will never be master. It was just one of 

 those nasty sort of tricks that would prevent nine men 

 out of ten from trying a horse. 



Still, beau Shackell, Elmore, Bartley, Anderson, 

 Bill Bean, a whole jury of horse-dealers, could not 

 have detected anything wrong about Lambkin. His 

 action was good, he could trot with a loose head on 

 pavement, and in the field his performances were 

 first-rate ; first-rate at least with Shabbyhounde on 

 his back, and a horse wanter behind. His temper 

 too was perfect, and he had a playful way of rattling 

 and champing the bit when he had nothing to do, as 

 much as to say, "why can't you trust me without 

 this nasty thing in my mouth." Whether it was this 

 playfulness, or to disarm suspicion of his infirmity, 

 we know not, but Shabbyhounde christened him 

 Lambkin. Now the name Lambkin certainly does 

 convey the idea of a very gentle, playful, docile 

 creature, it disarms suspicion, nay, even inspires 

 confidence, and would make one go up to an animal 

 in a stall, that we might have declined had he been 

 called "Beelzebub," "Old Nick," " The Tiger," or 

 any such name. But Lambkin ! who would be 

 afraid of Lambkin ! so great is the charm the magic 

 of a name. And yet his kicking was not from vice 

 it was a mere trick a trick that he had acquired 

 with a sore back, and which had grown into habit by 

 repeated successes. Before he came into the hands 

 from which Shabbyhounde got him, he had spanghewd 

 two prebendaries, a fat apothecary, a linen-draper, 

 three ostlers, a master butcher, an official assignee, a 

 railway surveyor, and two druggists. The uninitiated 

 in "kicks off" may say that it makes very little odds 

 whether a horse kicks you off from vice or from fun : 

 but there we beg to differ from them, it makes a good 

 deal of difference, especially if you fall near. The 

 vicious horse will often follow up his success by 

 attacking you either with his teeth or his heels, 

 17 



