84 THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 



the nose, as they bumped over the inequalities of the road. 

 Travel's devoutly hoped that none of his Oxford friends would 

 meet him ; still more did he pray that none of them would 

 speak to him — or, worse still, to her^ — after they had alighted. 

 The Tottie Turnovers of the world are all very well in their 

 place, thought the hapless Binkie ; it is when they insist on 

 emerging from their place that they become trying to the 

 nerves of those who are, j^w ton., responsible for them. 



They arrived at the Horse Mart a few minutes before the 

 redoubtable chestnut was led into that human ring, which 

 always seems to be formed of the same faces. Year in, year 

 out, those same men appear to be there. Do they live on the 

 spot, we wonder, eating and drinking, perhaps, surreptitiously 

 and when we're not looking, and sleeping on that red, red 

 gravel, like hibernating bears, in the intervals between the 

 bi-weekly sale days ? 



Travers had hardly got his gaudily-plumaged companion up 

 the stairs and into the gallery, which he thought would at 

 least be a less conspicuous place than down amongst the crowd 

 of few buyers and many lookers-on, when the auctioneer's 

 stentorian tones were heard announcing the next lot. 



" Lot 44, gentlemen. Chestnut gelding, Marmion by 

 Capulet, good hunter, and exceptionally brilliant fencer. 

 Well known with the Blazeaway Foxhounds and Col. 

 Crumpler's Drag pack " 



"Better known than trusted," murmured a groomy-looking 

 little man on the outskirts of the crowd. 



" what may I say for Marmion? Anyone put him in 



at a hundred guineas ? " 



No response. 



