Cluo Copers. 85 



as short as is now possible, I may as well state that 

 he did, by securing after a good half-hour's bargaining 

 the perfectly sound " Harkaway " for 35 guineas. 



Thus it will be seen that the would be biter was 

 very deservedly bitten. He would not, when he 

 first purchased the horse really cheaply, part with 

 the fiver he had promised to W. ; but, subsequently, 

 through the latter's cunning, was glad to give him 10 

 guineas to take the horse off his hands ; therefore, 

 when the younger Coper had paid the groom the 

 price of his lie (how rich some folks would be if the}^ 

 had 10/- for each they uttered !) he was the owner, 

 not only of a clear ^^'lo, but also of a remarkably 

 cheap horse, which, I think, after the anecdote I 

 have related, we need not doubt he would dispose 

 of to advantage. 



As a story of the dog bite dog kind, this has, I think, 

 few equals ; but, although my tale is told, I must 

 not close my note book without adding that, at a 

 subsequent sale at the same Repository, W. took 

 good care to circulate the whole story amongst the 

 numerous dealers of their mutual acquaintance ; 

 and, from what I have heard, old B. (who was 

 most unmercifully chaffed all round, and didn't half 

 like it) had a roughish time of it that day. He will, 

 however, I think, pay up on a future occasion, or, 

 at all events, make a better selection of his man. 



