100 



THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 



hat on. He stood well over sixteen hands, and looked like 

 carrying as many stone to hounds. 



" Cost me a lot of money, that horse did. I bought him for 

 the Honourable Spanker, at the beginning of the cubbing 

 season, but he — well, he went abroad, and ain't going to hunt 

 this year. The Honourable Spanker he took a wonderful 

 fancy to this horse ; said it was just his mark. I daresay you 

 gentlemen know the Honourable ? No ? heavyish gentleman 

 he is. He said he'd have given me two 'underd for him— if 

 he hadn't just gone into the Bankruptcy Court." 



" How old is he ? " asked Jack, who had been going through 

 the usual leg feeling process. 



" Seven year old, sir." Nota bene, that every aged horse 

 anything 'past mark' in a dealer's stable is seven. "Ee- 

 markable horse he is," went on Mr. Fobbs, rather hurriedly, as 

 though a little wishful to pass over the subject of the animal's 

 age. " No day too long for him, and jump ! well, there ! " and 

 the shake of the head that accompanied the last statement 

 made Travers's eyes bulge right out in astonishment. 



"Does he ever run away?" ventured that gentleman's 

 piping treble. 



" Best o' manners, sir ; best o' manners. There, I won't 

 have 'em in my place, if they ain't good-mannered ones. I 

 buy horses to sell to gentlemen," said the dealer, sententiously, 

 "not to horse-breakers; and so they've got to be good man- 

 nered, that's what I always say. They've got to be good 

 mannered." 



" Oh, really ! and do they know they've got to be good 

 mannered ? ' ' 



Mr. Fobbs looked at him to see if 'chaff' was meant; but 



