Cit for Cat. 15 



a slashing bay, on which he had ridden into town 

 that day, to old Brigs' stables, in exchange for a 

 scrap of paper representing ;f 170, at which the horse 

 appeared cheap enough, after Will had larked him 

 over every awkward fence on the great man's farm, 

 and, in addition, "warranted him sound." Mr. Brigs 

 chuckled when again alone, for a noble Marquis,who 

 would give 300 guineas, wanted just such a 15-stone 

 hunter, and to him he ''wired " forthwith. 



On the following day down came the said noble- 

 man's Vet. by an early train to Muddleton, armed 

 with a cheque for that amount, but lo and behold ! 

 when he reached Mr. Brigs' premises, and com- 

 menced examining the horse, the latter would not 

 pass, being spun for two very decided and palpable 

 side bones, on which, Mr. Leach remarked, he would 

 assuredly go lame if put to work, and probably had 

 already done so. Very irate at his own careless 

 inspection of the horse, for there was no gainsaying 

 their existence, and still more so at young Horse- 

 man's audacity, Mr. Brigs made it his business the 

 following morning to drive over to that gentleman's 

 residence — whither he had taken care to send the 

 horse quietly on. Warm words on Brigs' part ensued 

 on that occasion, but the younger man was cool, and 

 as the Marquis's Vet. was unknown to him, the 

 dealer very readily accepted Horseman's proposition 



