218 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



wliom business could be transacted off-hand, in a straight-forward, busi- 

 ness-like manner, which eannot be said of all those who follow his 

 calling. There is generally too much ^' gab" about them, to use a still 

 more vulgar term, and a lesson from Hesiod on the provident use of the 

 tongue — the happy medium — would be of more service than they are 

 aware of. I have been more than once under the necessity of exclaim- 

 ing to a dealer, — " D — n it, my good fellow^ tell me the price of your 

 horse, and Flljind out the rest myself ^ 



As may be supposed, during the hour I passed in Mr. Inglis's stables, 

 horses, their form, and merits, were the chief topic of our conversation. 

 *' Have you purchased that horse for Lord Kintore yet?" said I to Mr. 

 Inglis, with a look which he understood. " I have not," he replied ; 

 *' but if you will tell me where he is to be found, I will go some 

 hundred miles (and put some hundreds in my pocket) to see him." But 

 hereon hangs a tale. Being about to describe the form and points of a 

 hunter, for a certain work, I wrote to Lord Kintore, to request he would 

 give me his ideas of the modern hunter, in his very best form. My 

 friend's answer was to the purpose, — the following transcript of a letter 

 he had that day written to Inglis : — 



" When you happen to have a horse answering this description, drop 

 me a line: — Thorough-bred, with substance and action; fit to carry 

 fourteen stone through dirt ; height 15 . 2 ; not more than seven years 

 old ; colour dark brown, dark grey, dark chesnut, or dark bay ; small 

 head; large nostril ; no coaching neck; Hght at the throat lash; good 

 shoulders ; deep at his girth ; with strong back and loins ; good gas- 

 kins ; good sound feet and legs ; neither too short nor too long in the 

 pasterns ; warranted sound, and with good temper." 



