HINTS ON BUYING. 



79 



develop vice when they get into a strange stable, are handled 

 by strange grooms, and are put to work to which they are 

 itnaccustomed. This misbehaviour wears off, however, with 

 the novelty of the situation and surroundings. Equity says, 

 and fairly too, that no vice can be recognized that did not 

 exist anterior to the day of sale ; so if the animal be return- 

 able let him be sent back at the earUest possible date. 



I can remember purchasing, some years ago, a very likely 

 horse from a well-known West End dealer, a man hard of 

 hearing, but quite at the top of the tree. The horse was 

 as likely a one to carry twelve stone to hounds as was ever 

 foaled, and looked good enough to win the Grand National. 

 He was described as being a perfect fencer, and one likely 

 to win a big steeple-chase. I hacked him all the autumn 

 and liked him immensely, got him into good hard con- 

 dition, and one fine November day met the Pytchley on 

 him at BadbyWood. After a weary bit of woodland hunting 

 a fox broke cover, and I thought myself in for "a good 

 thing." My blood ran faster in those days than it does 

 now, somehow fences seemed smaller, so thought I to my- 

 self, '* Now, Charles Payne, where you go to-day there go 

 I also." But I didn't; for the brute had no more idea of 

 jumping than a cow of fly-fishing, and gave me four con- 

 secutive bad falls, the last of which brought the warning 

 from a hard-riding farmer, '' Governor, if you persevere with 

 that duffer, my word, he'll break your neck ! " Next morn- 

 ing saw me in Piccadilly, bellowing down a certain ear 

 trumpet, that though it might be the custom to load up the 

 confiding stranger with the most picturesque and admirable 

 lies, that sort of thing neither suited me nor my pocket ; 

 that I had bought and paid for a hunter, and a hunter I 

 would have. That afternoon, accompanied by profuse 

 apologies, I took back with me to Weedon one of the 



