MY OWNER, sm DIGBT. 11 



and yet you know, as well as myself, that Sellusall botli claims 

 and exercises the right of treating me only in the light of his 

 breeder and breaker. As my trainer, he runs the horses that I 

 place in his hands when and how he thinks fit. I have no voice 

 in the proceeding; and whether this colt starts for the two-year- 

 old or three-year-old stakes, both or neither, must entirely rest 

 with him." 



« I know that. Sir Bigby, but I thought " 



"It is useless to bore me with the expression of your 

 thoughts upon the subject," inten-upted the baronet. "I have 

 not even sufficient fortitude to listen to them." 



" Yery good. Sir Digby," said oiir head groom, with the 

 resignation of a martp-, " then I'll keep 'em to myself. Co-op, 

 dear, co-op," continued he, extending a hand for me to approach. 



I instantly obeyed the summons, as he had always treated 

 me with the greatest kindness, and rubbing my head against his 

 breast, Robert voluntarily commenced a panegyric upon my 

 disposition. 



" He's sweeter-tempered than a kitten a month old," observed 

 he, chafing my nose with the back of a hand, " and his playful 

 ways put one in mind of a real Cosset." 



" The colt looks a promising one, certainly," remarked my 

 owner, as he now, for the first time, bent a scrutinising gaze 

 upon me. 



Our head groom drew a long breath between his teeth, and 

 expressed the strong wish of being then and there bereft of 

 vitality if I was not the most so he had ever seen. 



" Good fore-legs," resumed Sir Digby, walking round me ; 

 " famous shoulders ; nice head and neck ; well ribbed-up loin ; 

 quarters deep and let down ; capital thighs ; big hocks, of the 

 right stamp ; with a barrel which tells of a constitution as sound 

 as an acorn." 



" The identical same, Sir Digby ! " exclaimed Kobert, 

 delighted beyond description at the discovery of my " points '* 

 by his master. " The identical same. Sir Digby ! " 



*' We must name this young flyer," remarked my owner, 



