STORIES OF DEALERS AND DUPES 247 



and the Frenchman who bought it, by way of re- 

 venge — is amusing : 



' Riding one evening after dark along the road 

 from Calais to Dunkerque on a favourite English 

 horse, down he dropped as if he had been shot, send- 

 ing me over his ears en avant courrier. This mishap 

 had arisen from my (Englishman-like) taking the side 

 of the pave in preference to the middle of the route. 

 A drain had been left open, of about two feet deep, 

 into which my horse had gone. He was up in a 

 moment ; I remounted, and what I said about French 

 highroads was bad enough then, but when I examined 

 my horse's knees by the first light I came to, and 

 found two concavities made in them something the 

 size of a teacup, I fear what I said was ten times 

 worse. I really now thought that from this trap 

 having been left open, and holding myself a loser of 

 about thirty pounds each knee, some redress would 

 be afforded me. I found, however, that redress, 

 something like promotion or reward for services, was 

 likely to be some time in coming, for I was first told 

 I had no business riding where I did ; and, secondly, 

 from whom was the redress to come ? Before this 

 could be got at it was necessary to find who made 

 the drain, and it behoved me to find that out. " Did 

 Monsieur know who it was ? " Of course Monsieur 

 did not. I saw my chance was out, but to render 

 assurance doubly sure out came again the infernal 

 ^'11 faut quHl Vapprenne done,'' 



