224 VICIOUS HORSES 



person who, after being made acquainted with his 

 faults, should venture to give anything approach- 

 ing a fair figure for a first-rate miniature hunter 

 — when he did not buck — and a capital trapper — 

 when he did not perforate the splash-board. 



For several months nobody was bold enough 

 to invest. The people in the neighbourhood re- 

 spected Nobby, but they did not wish to own 

 him. So, until a desirable customer arrived, the 

 cob was lent " meat for manners " to his owner's 

 nearest friend. No amount of work tired him, 

 and he ingenuously kicked whilst he gaily trotted 

 along, and periodically broke a shaft rearing, even 

 thouo^h his "corn was knocked off." A change 

 for the better came over the cob's fortunes one 

 day when a stranger took a fancy to him, but he 

 never had him "vetted," and gave a cheque for 

 the amount asked, without attempting to haggle. 

 And though warned that the temper of his pur- 

 chase was not angelic, he immediately harnessed 

 him to a brand new trap, and, to the surprise 

 of onlookers, drove Nobby off. Nor, though the 

 stranger was an inferior horseman, who allowed 

 the reins to fall quite loosely on the cob's back, 

 did anything startling happen. It disappointed 

 the eager spectators to watch such unusually docile 

 behaviour on the part of a generally acknowledged 

 vicious trapper. And when months afterwards 

 the last purchaser of Nobby declared that " he 

 and the cob suited one another exactly, and 

 nothing would induce him to sell him," the state- 

 ment was received with awe by those who were 

 considered good horsemen, and who had ridden 



