32 



" Do you call that unsound, Sir ? All horses 

 with good action will cut themselves at times." 



His patience however was not quite exhausted. 

 The next horse had a splent ; the next a spavin ; 

 a third showed the recent extirpation of a corn ; 

 and a fourth exhibited symptoms of the mange. 



** Upon my word, Sir, you'll say next that a 

 horse is unsound if one ear is longer than the other ! 

 you won't find a horse here to suit you, I assure 



you." 



I thought so too and decamped, yet I believe 

 there were not less than a hundred all warranted 

 or to be returned in a week. 



I must request my readers to substitute Mr. 



X. Y. Z. for Mr. H , throughout the preceding 



pages ; for, such is the tenderness of conscience 

 in all the horse-dealing fraternity, that at least a 

 dozen individuals have accused me of meaning 



them by Mr. H . " A pretty figure you 



have made of me, Sir," exclaimed the first man I 

 met, after my work came out. 



" You, my friend ! I have not mentioned your 

 name." 



" Ay, but all the world knows who you mean by 

 Mr. H , and so does my attorney !" 



The man's name began with a T. A day or two 

 after, while still labouring under the dread of an 



