294 The Leather Plater, 



who lived there well, so I led my horse up, left him there, rode 

 home on an old pony I borrowed of him, and sent a man next 

 morning to bring home my horse. I owed the captain one for his 

 civility ; and the thought immediately flashed across my mind that 

 I could not get rid of my obligation in a better way than by 

 buying the " bay colt by Plover" over his head if it were possible. 



So I asked the groom rather anxiously, but as unconcernedly as 

 1 could, " Have you seen the colt ?" 



" Yes, and I never in my life saw such an old ruffian as the 

 farmer who owns him," was the reply. 



" What did you think of the colt — did you buy him ?" was my 

 next question. 



" Well, he's not a bad like colt," answered the groom, taking a 

 long pull at his cigar ; '' and he looks all over like galloping ; stands 

 on rather short legs, but covers a deal of ground ; looks like 

 flying with about nine stone up, but he'll never carry my chap -, he 

 rides eleven stone, and is about as hard on a horse as a man can be. 

 Besides, the colt is a little light below the knee. However, he's 

 good enough to win our cup, even with the captain up, among the 

 lot of muftis he'll have to meet 3 and even if he can't do that he'll 

 make a sweet park hack or a ladies' horse, — and my chap knows 

 where to place him if it comes to that. It won't be the first one 

 we've given away from our stud to a favourite." 



"Well, but did you buy him r" I again asked, waiting anxiously 

 for his reply. 



" Why, no, I have not bought him yet. The Itict is, the old 

 chap as owns him wants eighty for him, and it seems the captain 

 knows that. 80 he just gives me a cheque for that sum, and tells 

 me to buy the colt if I liked him. Now, it's not very likely I 

 mean to buy without standing in ; but as for getting a ten-pound 

 note out of this pig-headed old clodhopper, that's no go. I showed 

 him the cheque, and told him very plainly that the sale of the colt 

 was in my hands, and that if I gave up the cheque I should expect 

 ten pounds out of it from him when the colt was delivered. If 

 my chap had never heard anything about the price I could have 



