SAMUEL HITCHEM. 109 



the undertaker*s than the Methodist parson's. It was a strange 

 attire for "a swell cove about toAvn ;" but the respectability of 

 the effect had, on several occasions, proved of considerable 

 advantage to Samnel Hitchem. 



To turn me to the profitable side of his ledger, it is almost 

 unnecessary to add, was the primary object of my new owner; 

 but he admitted, without reservation, that "with all the 

 moves he was up, down, and fly to, he didn't clearly see how it 

 was to be done. Every dodge had been tried by Jemmy Clever, 

 and he didn't boast of being a greater rascal than the late * pro- 

 prietor of a third."* Originality of design being totally ex- 

 hausted in the tricks which had been played with me, I was 

 simply nominated for two or three unimportant races at nearly 

 the close of the season ; but refusing to stir an inch from the 

 post for either, Samuel Hitchem, in sacrificing the stakes, con- 

 fessed to being heartily sick of his bit of blood. 



" I'm not going to keep you through the winter," said he, 

 addressing me one morning as I stood in my stall with feelings, 

 I fear, of enmity with the whole world; "I'm not going to 

 keep you through the winter," repeated the swell cove about 

 town, " with oats at forty shillings a quarter, and hay five-pun- 

 ten a load. You won't race, and, just as likely as not, never 

 will again. A steeplechaser you'd never make, and as to carry- 

 ing a man to hounds, I don't mean to try ye, and, what's worse, 

 may I be hocussed if I know anybody who would. I can't put 

 ye to work," continued Samuel Hitchem, " because you won't 

 do any. I can't sell ye, because nobody '11 buy ye at anything 

 like the figure I was fool enough to give, and as to cutting your 

 throat, why, that can be done any day." 



A bright thought, however, like the sudden flash of a meteor, 

 seemed to illume the mirky indecision in my owner's brain. 



"That's it!" ejaculated he, rubbing his hands violently 

 together. " I'll get up a raffle and make money of ye after all." 



Energy, both mental and pliysical, was a naturally stamped 

 characteristic of Samuel Hitchem. With him scarcely were 

 the bare outlines of what appeared to be a desirable scheme 

 sketched, than the filling-in followed with all practicable dis- 



