28 THE LIFE OF A EACEHORSE. 



" If I don't tell ye," replied Eobert, sliaking the stirrup 

 from his right foot, preparatory to dismounting from the roan 

 cob, and looking askance at the questioner, "ye'U find out, 

 ma^diap, as soon as if I did." 



"Wary, as of old, eh?" rejoined the other, with the 

 mechanical laugh of a statue, which exhibited a row of teeth 

 as even as a shark's ; but I noticed that his pale, dull, and 

 almost colourless eyes were measuring me inch by inch. 

 "Wary, as of old, eh?" repeated he. 



" Not partic'lar so," returned Mr. Toj^, as he turned his 

 body from the saddle, and occupied a perpendicular position 

 upon the ground. 



" That's a likely-looking colt," observed the stranger, after a 

 short pause, still keeping his eyes fixed upon me. 



" Is he?" briefly responded our head groom, tapping his legs 

 with the straight cutting whip in a manner of careless and 

 complete indifference. 



" In some respects, at least," added the stranger, reservedly, 

 "if not in all." 



" We look, you know, for information from you, Mr. Sellu- 

 sall," said Bobert with an unusual glisten in his fox-like organs 

 of vision. "What may be that colt's particular respects, sir, 

 which don't quite come up to the standard o' your fancy?" 



" I'll speak of them presently," was the reply of him who, 

 I now learned, was our trainer, John Sellusall. "Spanky," 

 continued he, raising his voice, " Spanky, where the devil are 

 ye?" 



"Here, sir," returned a voice loudly, which, from the 

 muffled sound, seemed to come from some far removed box or 

 stall, with several doors closed upon its approaches. " Here, 

 sir," repeated the voice, and at the same moment an individual 

 made his aj^pearance, from a neighbouring outlet, somewhat 

 short of breath, and flushed in manner. 



"Spanky," said Mr. Sellusall, in his habitual authoritative 

 tone and manner, " put that colt in box number one." 



" Oh !" exclaimed Bobert, with a jerk of his round hat, as 



