ABOUT BUYING A HORSE. ii 



a man who had been taken in once, but was never going to 

 be " had alive " again. 



At the same time, and on due consideration, I should not 

 be extraordinarily astonished were he to turn out to be the 

 Cashier of some Mercantile Firm, at work from nine till four 

 regularly, with ten days' holiday in the summer. 



Assuming him, however, to be of a sporting turn for the 

 purposes of conversation 



Happy Thought. — By the w-ay, to assume everyone to be 

 something merely for the purposes of conversation. Must 

 lead to discussion. 



For example, assume a man to be a soldier ; talk to him 

 of the latest invention in breech-loaders (if you can — I can't), 

 manoeuvres, campaigns, the exemplary conduct of the Light 

 Cavalry in Abyssinia (if you know anything about it — I 

 don't), and so forth. He will join you satisfactorily for 

 some time, then you can put such a test-question to him as 

 would tend to elicit his opinion with regard to " the probable 

 expense of a Messman's Kit ? " or any such professionally- 

 military-sounding inquiry. Should he really happen to be 

 in the Army, then he will probably stick his glass in his eye, 

 seem puzzled, and ask you " what the deuce you mean ? '"' in 

 which case, you can retire behind your trenches (I haven't 

 the faintest notion what effect this would have on an enemy, 

 but I've often met the phrase in print, and like it), and 

 pleasantly beg to be pardoned if your " phraseology '' (use 

 this word) is incorrect ; or say " technically incorrect," 

 which does look as if you had some acquaintance with the 



