GOING ON HIS OWN JUDGMENT. 179 



at his horses is one of the sort who could eat his 

 dinner very well on the table when made ; but if 

 the table was wanting, so far as his own ability of 

 making one goes, would be reduced to taking his 

 soup on his knees. He may be a very clever man, 

 probably more so than the other, but not a car- 

 penter (of hunters) more than of tables. 



On looking at the supposed horses on sale, our 

 buyer sees a good-looking brown horse, about his 

 cut as to size and strength asks his character. 

 The owner, as a gentleman, gives a true one. 



" He is a very fair horse indeed, an excellent 

 hunter in any country but one like mine, a re- 

 markably fine fencer, and very handy, but not so 

 fast as I could wish here ; his price, 1507." 



Our buyer candidly says, that only hunting 

 occasionally, he does not wish to give quite so 

 much. 



In the next stall he sees a particular splendid 

 grey, who looks a fortune : he looks at him, but 

 modestly says, 



" I am afraid I need not ask any questions 

 about him : he is beyond my mark." 



" Yes, you may," replies the owner, good- 

 naturedly smiling, " so far as price goes ; I ask 

 100/. for him. I tell you fairly he is one of the 

 few horses I have had that I could not make a 

 hunter of. He cannot live a distance with hounds 

 if the pace is good ; and he is so nervous, that he 



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