18 THE LIFE OF A KACEHORSE. 



the boy, stopping in the act of " hand-rubbing" the pastern joint 

 of my off foreleg, and glancing sideways at Eobert as he spoke. 



" Has he taken a great fancy to Toby, then V* inquired our 

 head groom. 



"A fancy?" repeated Harry, rising from a kneeling posi- 

 tion, and placing his arms a-kimbo. " Strike-me lucky," con- 

 tinued he, "if ever I seed such a fancy, Mr. Top ! Why, he'll 

 play with the cat, sir, just for all the same as a big babby 

 vrould. Here, Toby, old feller, where are yerl" 



Toby, who was cozily curled up in a dark, snug corner, just 

 beneath my manger, woke at the summons for his presence, 

 and gave a " me-u-ow," which always sounded as if he suffered 

 from a constitutional and perpetual bad cold, accompanied by 

 Creat hoarseness and catarrh. 



" I knew he wasn't far off," said Harry ; and, thrusting a 

 hand among the depths of the straw, he dragged Toby by the 

 neck from his retreat, and dropped him lightly on my quarters. 



Poor Toby ! His points and proportions in kittenhood had 

 been sadly mutilated by Harry's trimming-scissors, not even the 

 remotest stump of a tail being visible, and his ears had been 

 cropped so closely that it was impossible to see he ever pos- 

 sessed a pair. Sleek, fat, and black as jet, Toby might, had his 

 natural gifts been permitted to remain, have proved a handsome 

 specimen of his race ; but his artificial appearance exhibited a 

 strong amalgamation of the " slang " and ridiculous. 



I am, perhaps, not at a greater loss than my masters for 

 the causes of my likings or dislikings ; but, upon taking pos- 

 session of my box, Toby gave me a welcome by jumping into 

 the manger, and, patting my nose gently with his paws, purred 

 an offer of good fellowship which I embraced. From my ac- 

 quaintanceship vv'ith Toby, I soon — for my temperament was 

 more than warm — began to love him ; and except when watch- 

 ing for a felon mouse, or engaged in some amorous dalliance, he 

 v,^as generally on my back, in my manger, or just under it. 

 A^d so it wa.s that I and Toby cemented a long and lasting 

 friendship. 



