Hunting ill the Golden Days. 65 



came into existence, constructed of a piece of thick chain 

 fixed with a staple to the end of a mop-stick.] This 

 chain-whip, for that is what it was, he would then produce, 

 and with it he would give Ginger one down the chine of 

 the back. The horse thought this strange treatment, no 

 doubt, but it soon decided him, and up the hill he went 

 like a rocket. 



" * They only want two doses of the jingler at the 

 most/ remarked Calmer. ' I carry it for some little time 

 in the cart, and if he shows any signs of refusing I only 

 have to rattle the chain with my foot and he'll be off like 

 lightning.' 



*' After a time they got quite fond of Ginger, and 

 Calmer had thoughts of keeping him for his own 

 smoking or his wife's confidential hunter. 



*' One day a gentleman came down to buy a hunter. 

 He was shown several but found fault with them all. 

 Some were too large and some too small, others too 

 old or too young. So after a time the Calmer said he 

 was afraid that he could not suit his customer. The 

 gentleman, however, spied the head of old Ginger 

 peeping out of a loose box, and remarked to the dealer 

 that he had not shown him this horse and that he 

 seemed just the animal to suit him. ' Ah, now,' said 

 the Calmer, ' you have just seen one that I don't want 

 to sell, and one that because I don't want to sell every- 

 one wants to buy. Besides that, he is a rank wrong one ; 

 don't you have anything to do with him.' Of course, 

 the gentlemen could hardly believe that a horse dealer 

 would so depreciate his own property, and thinking that 

 he was so good a horse that he wished to keep it 

 himself, asked the price that would be accepted. ' If I 

 sold him,' said the dealer, *I should want ^120. 

 But, lor' sir, what is gold in the balance against serenity 



