236 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



liiinting, and had on more than one occasion pounded 

 the whole field. It struck me the widest jumper in 

 all Lincolnshire and my friend the dauntless farmer 

 would be well matched; it ended in my allowing 

 him to try ' Lincoln ' at a brook that had been con- 

 sidered in the hunt as impassable without a boat or 

 taking a cold bath. The price was agreed upon if 

 the horse did it : he did it and to spare. I drew 

 50/., taking in exchange decidedly one of the 

 cleverest hunters I ever had, and eventually sold 

 him at a hundred and fifty, when fourteen years 



old.'i 



And here is another story, showing how the price 



of a horse may make a vast rise in a short time. 



' Some summers ago, a horse found its way into the 



stable of a celebrated dealer in Piccadilly, that, like 



a young lady of great beauty and fortune on her 



first appearance at Court, created quite a sensation 



amongst a certain set, known for their exclusive 



notions respecting women and horses. The West 



End was in a state of excitement. Four hundred 



pounds had been ofPered to, and refused by, this 



sj)irited dealer in hard bargains, who himself had 



given three hundred for him. The fame of the nag 



sj)read even beyond Bow Bells, and a brother dealer 



from the neighbourhood of Eomford found his business 



stand still — nobody would come to his yard till the 



' Harrj' Hieover — Stable Talk and Tahle Talk. 



