JOHN SELLUSAIiL AND SPANKY. 29 



he buried his arms in the pockets of his breeches, and stood 

 with the varmint-looking cob's reins slung carelessly on an 

 elbow. " And so he's to go in box number one, is he ? "Well, 

 that's singular, that is !" 



" Why so ?" inquired the trainer. 



Mr. Top, however, became so absorbed in thought that he 

 paid no attention to the question ; and the last I saw of him 

 that day was as he stood in his favourite attitude, silently 

 watching me led to a lead-coloured door, on which was con- 

 spicuously painted in a white ring, No. 1. 



My box bore a close resemblance to the one I had quitted 

 •just three days before. Large, well- ventilated, and the walls 

 boarded with oak to nearly six feet in height, with a crib and 

 rack conveniently placed in one corner. I had no reason to 

 feel dissatisfied with my new quarters ; and as Harry and Toby 

 accompanied me, I took possession of them with a light heai-t 

 and contented spirit. 



"I s'pose you know who I am?" said the individual sum- 

 moned to Mr. Sellusall's presence by the name of Spanky, as he 

 closed the door of the box, and strode towards Harry through 

 the litter. " I s'pose you know who / am ?" repeated he. 



My impression is, that if Harry Dale did not positively 

 know, he could have given a remarkably shrewd guess ; but in 

 rather an off-hand, flippant manner, he professed entire igno- 

 rance of the pedigree of Spanky, by seriously asking him " who 

 was his mother?" and without pausing for a reply, followed up 

 the interrogative by an energetic declaration that he knew 

 nothing — and consequently would keep it a profound secret — 

 of his family history or personal conduct, notoriously objection- 

 able as both might be, and, possibly, matters of history in the 

 Newgate Calendar. 



" Well !" returned Spanky, staring at Harry as a cat some- 

 times eyes a mouse before making a final spring — "if this 

 isn't a pretty go by way of a beginning, I should like to know 

 what is ?" 



" There's nothing like a good start," rejoined Harry, pr©. 



