144 OCCASIONAL HAPPY THOUGHTS. 



have ever been any doubt about it whatever), " he'd ha' been 

 down sure enough. Cut-a-both knees you see, Sir." 



" O — ahem — I never saw that when I bought him. And 

 they never said anything about it." 



Murgle smiles. So do I. He takes the advertisement to 

 the post. 



Somehow I feel that Murgle and myself are conspiring. 



]My friend Jelfer calls. 



" I hear you've got a cob you want to sell. What's the 

 figure ? " 



I name more than I had intended to ask, out of pity for 

 my friend, and rather hoping to stop Jelfer at the outset. 



Although I have taken to horse-dealing, and my whole 

 moral nature has been changed in an hour or so, yet I am 

 still tender-hearted. I knoiv^ from the nature of my business, 

 that I am going to take in somebody, but I do not want to 

 deceive Jelfer. 



Happy TJiOKght. — I will tell him everything ; and thc7t if 

 he chooses to buy, let him. But I will be open and candid. 



" The price is all right," replies Jelfer, " if he's what I 

 want." 



Jelfer sees, and likes him. 



" He's good enough for me," he says. 



Then comes the question — the question which I never 

 asked the man of whom /bought him. I didn't distrust a 

 stranger, why should a friend mistrust me ? 



Jelfer feels the knees critically. I and Murgle look on. 

 Murgle nervous, but prepared, 1 fancy, like Mosqs in the 



