THE HAUGHTYSHIKE HUNT. 99 



in hand, and conducted them into his Httle office. He rang 

 the yard bell, ostensibly to summon his head man, but really 

 to give the signal for a general removal of bandages, cold 

 water swabs, crib-biting muzzles, &c. A glass of brown sherry 

 was discussed, whilst Jack explained the business they had 

 come upon. Then the head man appeared, which meant that 

 everything was in readiness, and ' Honest Edward ' led the 

 way to Loose-box No. 1. 



Just let us pause to ask a question that has long been 

 puzzling us. Why is there a Loose-box No. 1 at all in dealers' 

 stables? No one has ever, we are morally certain, bought a 

 horse since the beginning of the world out of Loose-box No. 1. 

 Probably the horse standing in it is never meant to be sold ! 

 It is merely there to act as a foil to the rest, or something to 

 whet our appetite for what is coming. Nevertheless, the stock 

 beast in No. 1 has to be inspected. It is part of the rites. 



This particular fraud was a flea-bitten grey with a very 

 ' tucked up ' middle piece. He emitted a truly awful sound, 

 half groan, half cough, as Mr. Fobbs opened the door, which 

 would have effectually stalled off any buyer. 



" No, I don't think he'd suit you, sir," said the dealer, 

 hastily passing on to the next box. " Good horse, too," he 

 added, in a tone intended to convey the information that none 

 but good horses ever found even a temporary abiding place in 

 that high-class establishment. 



"Now here's a genuine hunter. A gentleman's horse, that 

 is," exclaimed Mr. Fobbs, quite unconscious of the irony 

 of his statement, if his words were to be taken literally. 



The animal under discussion was a big-boned, Roman-nosed 

 brown, with great ragged hips that you could hang your 



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