In the Stable, Field, and on the Road. 255 



carriage fall into their hands you will just see the 

 difference of their treatment. They will let the horses 

 stay in the stable and never try to sell them until a large 

 bill has run up for expenses, then they look out for a 

 customer and when they have one, will go to the owne r 

 and tell him things are very dull and that he cannot get 

 a bid for them, but as the captain wishes to part with 

 them he will give 50 or perhaps 100 guineas for the 

 pair and keep them himself in case a purchaser should 

 turn up. The money is handed over, and the next day 

 the animals are shewn and find another master at about 

 £300, thus fulfilling the proverb that when a man is down 

 every one will kick him. Yet the men who do this 

 trickery would be shocked if they were accused of dis- 

 honest dealings. Scores of this kind of cases could be 

 quoted, but I think I have said enough to show that a 

 man when buying a horse at a fair or from an advertise- 

 ment, should not do so with his eyes shut, and although 

 the groom is considered ignorant, yet many gentlemen 

 would have sounder and better studs if the advice of their 

 grooms and coachmen were taken in the selection of them. 

 That there are many ignorant grooms and coachmen 

 there is no doubt, but I contend that there are as many 

 intellectual men to be found among them as in any other 

 class, and if in my writings I have given umbrage to any 

 of my readers by my plain speaking, I am sorry for so 

 doing, but as my motto has been " Proud to praise, yet 

 not afraid t to blame." I could not be truthful unless I 

 blamed the groom for many things, and the masters for as 

 many more. No bad workman ever had a good tool, and 

 no bad master ever got a good man. If, on the other 



