Cit for Cat. ii 



TIT FOR TAT, 



LD Brigs had not climbed to the top of 

 the tree in his profession without having 

 learnt a good deal from the experiences he 

 had gained whilst doing so, and if in his younger 

 days he occasionally bought *' dear," he assuredly 

 in his latter ones did not sell cheap. He was one of 

 the leading horse-dealers in Great Britain at the time 

 I write of, and was not much less widely known 

 across the Channel, where many a " third man " 

 kept his eyes open on liis behalf and for his com- 

 mission. He was a clever old fellow, and could sum 

 up a customer in as many seconds as it would have 

 taken the latter years to fathom him. When a 

 purse-proud snob came into his yard, he would 

 weave into his conversation such a string of titled 

 purchasers, and quote such figures, as would veritably 

 have made even the shades of Burke and of Colenso 

 shudder, and if he didn't plant him with a very 

 indifferent horse at a very considerable cost later on 

 it was a wonder, and assuredly not the fault of the 

 dealer. If a retiring individual of less substance 

 wanted an animal, having mentally booked his "out- 

 side " price at ;f lOO, Mr. Brigs would commence 

 operations by showing him a really nice horse or 



