190 The Best Fourteen- Hander in England. 



my eye, sir, when I bought her ; and when I mentioned your name 

 to the ' dear young lady,' as one who I knew, of all other men, 

 would take charge of her pony and use her kindly for life, she 

 clasped her hands together and said, ' Bless him !' And if you 

 could only have seen her at that minute, sir, you'd have said she 

 looked as much like an angel as anything you ever see in your hfe, 

 sir !" Joe had a habit of speaking quick, and running his sen- 

 tences into each other, which rather detracts from the pathos of a 

 tale ; but he spoke all this with an air of such feeling, and, more- 

 over, threw in his little bit of flattery so well, that I had almost 

 made up my mind at once to try and buy the mare. His last shot, 

 however, decided me : " And besides, don't you see, sir, if you 

 can't find any nice young lady friend where you can place her, 

 you've nothing to do but to pnt her into training, and if she don't 

 w^in you the HoUerton Cup, why I'll return you every shilling of 

 the money, and take her back again, sir." There was another little 

 circumstance which also helped my decision : the night before I 

 had been kicked out of my gig by a vicious brute which 1 neither 

 dare put into harness again or sell in my own neighbourhood, but 

 which I felt certain Joe would tackle. He did not seem to think 

 a bit worse of the horse for having played me this trick, so long as 

 it was considered in the price, and after a Uttle higgling I agreed to 

 take the mare as she was, giving him my kicker and 15/. 5 and as 

 I well knew the value of a warranty from such a character, I 

 merely took a receipt for the money, and Joe rode off apparently 

 thoroughly satisfied, although he was taking away with him about 

 the most dangerous brute that ever looked through a collar. Per- 

 haps he was consoled by the reflection that he was leaving nearly 

 as dangerous a one behind. Just as he rode out of the gate, he 

 turned to remark, " You'd best ride the little mare in the bridle 

 she's got on now, till you get a bit used to her mouth, sir, for if 

 she has a fault it is that she hangs a little heavy on the hit. Not that 

 that makes twopence difference to a man like you, as knows a hoss > 

 fact, I dare say, like myself, sir, you would not care to ride one if 

 you could not feel his mouth. Keep 'em well on the bit, that's 



