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lay, and save the trouble of unpacking. The fact is, the 

 business of the seller is not to expose the miserable make 

 and light and flimsy manner in which it has been 

 specially put together for him. Such leather is known 

 by the trade as "goose hide, or tripe." In reply to the 

 query as to the furniture, the answer was Silver on 

 German, meaning the one Buckle only that the seller 

 had just placed his finger upon which was the Crupper 

 Buckle and fixed there for that special and evasive purpose. 

 The fact is, the furniture was iron, and in a very short time 

 would have shewn quite black, as soon as the thin coating 

 of silver had blown off. And it must be remembered that 

 this man's dealings are never done in the presence of a third 

 party. The price commenced at nine guineas, and in about 

 four minutes came down to five pounds, without 

 solicitation, such being the usual Cheap John system of 

 saving time. On giving the horse's size as sixteen hands, 

 the reply was that the harness would fit like a glove, and 

 as true and easy as though it had been measured for, 

 which augurs well for his judgment when he tells you 

 the size of the collar belonging the set to be eighteen and 

 half inches, and the fact is considered that the average 

 length of collars for horses above fifteen hands is from 

 twenty to twenty-one inches. 



The harness is declined ; then the visitor saw the 

 "being" before him in his true colours, and was addressed 

 in numerous insulting expressions, such as he did not 

 mean business when he came ; if the money is not avail, 

 able he could be accommodated, either with that or anything 

 else, and the sooner he was off his premises the better. 

 This being the way many unbusiness-like touts get their 

 living; which makes it the more surprising when we con- 

 sider the fact that the legitimate tradesman never insults 

 his customers under any circumstances. 



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