258 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



In the wilder parts of America Judge Lynch 

 settles accounts with horse-thieves, who are held in 

 detestation. In more civilised states the crime is 

 severely punished, though by a regular tribunal. A 

 cute Yankee once got back a large sum of money 

 by making a charge of horse-stealing against his 

 defrauder, as is pleasantly related by Sam Slick : 



* Felix Foyle lived in the back part of the State 

 of New York, and carried on a smart chance of 

 business in the provision line. Beef and pork and 

 flour was his staples, and he did a great stroke in 

 'em. Perhaps he did so to the tune of four hundred 

 thousand dollars a year, more or less. Well, in 

 course, in such a trade as that, he had to employ a 

 good many folks as clerks and salters and agents, 

 and what-not, and among them was his book-keeper, 

 Sossipater Cuddy. Sossipater (or Sassy, as folks used 

 to call him, for he was rather high in the instep, and 

 was Sassy by name, and Sassy by natur' too,) well, 

 Sassy was a cute man, a good judge of cattle, a grand 

 hand at a bargain , and a'most an excellent scholar 

 at figures. He was ginerally allowed to be a first- 

 rate business man. Only to give you an idee, now, 

 of that man's smartness, how ready and up to the 

 notch he was at all times, I must jist stop fust and 

 tell you the story of the cigar. 



' In some of our towns we don't allow smokin' in 

 the streets, though in most on 'em we do, and where 

 it's agin the law it is two dollars fine in a gineral 



