THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



world. The celebrated clockmaker Sam Slick, talk- 

 ing over a racing project, in which he expects to take 

 in the knowing ones, by deceiving them as to the 

 fleetness of his favorite horse, Clay, expresses himself 

 thus : " Clay is as cunning as a 'coon (racoon) ; if 

 he don't get the word g'lang (go along) and the 

 Indgyan skelpin' yell with it, he knows I ain't in 

 airnest : he'll purtend to do his best, and sputter 

 away like a hen scratchin' gravel, but he won't go one 

 mossel faster." 



There was in the tribe of Negne a mare no less 

 renowned than Jabal's, which Daher, a man of 

 another tribe, had bent his whole soul on possessing. 

 Having in vain offered his camels and all his wealth 

 for her, he determined to compass his ends by strata- 

 gem. He stained his face with herbs, dressed him- 

 self in rags, and tied up his legs so as to give himself 

 the appearance of a crippled beggar. In this plight, 

 he laid himself down on a spot where he knew that 

 Nabee, the owner of the mare, would pass, and as 

 soon as he saw him, he began to implore piteously for 

 help, saying, he was unable to move, and was dying 

 of hunger. Nabee told the poor wretch to mount 

 behind him, and he would take him to his own tent, 

 and supply his wants. " May your bounty be ex- 

 tolled," replied the pretended cripple, " but I am 

 unable to mount without assistance." Thereupon the 

 compassionate Nabee dismounted, and with much 



