A NEW HORSE AND A NEWMAN 145 



better take him for a while, and I'll keep the brother 

 on my place. Danny McLeay would gladly give 

 your lad a job for the seeding month, and keep him 

 on after if he is any good. But he hasn't experience 

 enough for you. By the way, have you decided on 

 a fourth work-horse ? " 



" Not yet. Two men from Springbrook have 

 been over about one, only one was a gelding and 

 the other was old. I should so prefer a mare — big 

 you know, and not too ancient." 



" Danny McLeay has a good beast," he said. 

 " A fine match for Jim and Kit. He is not exactly 

 young, but an infant in comparison to old Jim. He 

 is about the same size, only well-covered ; one foot 

 turns in a bit, but that does not interfere with his 

 work. He is asking one hundred and eighty dollars 

 for him. He wants something down on the deal, 

 but will wait till fall for the balance. If you don't 

 buy him, I shall." 



Tommy was a big, white-faced, white-footed bay. 

 I closed the deal the moment I saw him, agreeing 

 to pay eighty dollars spot cash and sign a note for 

 the balance at ten per cent. My neighbour bought 

 the two-year-old polo pony, Skye, on the same day, 

 and Skye became the sire of Nancy's first foal. He 

 was swift and altogether a delightful hack, but my 

 neighbour had no particular use for him and sold 

 him at a fair profit. Eventually he passed into the 

 possession of a racing man, for whom he won 

 valuable races. 



" What are you going to do about a man ? " 

 inquired my neighbour one very hot day when 

 hardly a scrap of snow remained on the landscape. 



" It's a serious problem," I acknowledged. " A 



K 



