25 



sly'rogue was up to me ; he crouched like a camel. 

 " Pick up his fore-leg, John." Nor would that do : 

 he reared, broke away from two men who were 

 helping, and galloped up the ride. A full hour 

 was spent by me, and every man in the yard, to get 

 across him, but all in vain; defeated and mortified 

 I returned home, leaving directions to sell him. 

 My warranty did not extend to safety in mounting ! 

 I had not been home an hour, before word was 

 brought that he had kicked an ostler and laid him 

 up ! I was of course bound to indemnify as well 

 as cure the sufferer ; and sent the savage brute to 

 Osborne's. The next morning a second groom re- 

 ceived a kick that cost me another guinea. I sent 

 him to the hammer as a vicious horse. He was 

 sold for more than he cost, but not until he had 

 sent me a third claimant for compensation ! It 

 was a dealer that bought him, and he certainly 

 found a discipline to cure his vice. He killed him 

 in less than a month ! 



I was curious to learn the reason of his extreme 

 docility for the first three days after I had him. 

 By a fee to some of the understrappers at the 

 stables I soon arrived at the truth. He had been 

 tied up to the rack both day and night for a week 

 before, and never allowed to sleep except standing ! 



