STORIES OF DEALERS AND DUPES 243 



^ I paid my money, and was well pleased witli my 

 purchase for three days, and then discovered, what a 

 very little reflection might have told me at firsfc, that 

 the Quaker being two stone lighter than myself and 

 presumably a quiet rider, a horse that would carry 

 him safely would in less than a week break his own 

 knees and endanger my neck. He was a good horse, 

 thouo'h not fit for me.' 



In this case the Quaker certainly cannot be called 

 a cheat, but Sir G. Stephens relates another deal in 

 which he was regularly taken in and done for : 



' I set off/ he says, ' to examine " a sweet mare " 

 with a pedigree as long as her tail. She belonged 

 to " a gentleman," and I was determined to see my 

 " gentleman." A sort of nondescript, half-gentleman, 

 half -jockey, but with the word rogue as legibly writ- 

 ten on his face as if it had been tattooed there, came 

 forward. " Bought her for breeding, sir ; won't do ; 

 dropped three fillies running. Sweetest creature that 

 ever was crossed, but she won't breed a colt, and she 

 must go." 



' " Do you warrant her, sir? " 



' " Warrant her ? To be sure ! I'll warrant her 

 to fly with you." 



' " Do you warrant her sound? " 



* " Tickleback sound ! Why, she is as well known 

 at Tattersall's as myself." 



'I was by no means satisfied, but in decency I 

 could press the point no further ; I liked her looks, 



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