io6 THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 



check waistcoat, Jack took him by the lappel of his coat, and 

 in low and confidential tones, said: "You must buy him, old 

 chap. I've been pumping Fobbs, and I think — mind, I only 

 think — I can get him for a hundred and eighty guineas. Of 

 course, he mai/ stick out for his price — two hundred. Do you 

 think you would go to two ? No ? Well then, we'll try for him 

 at one eighty, eh ? Or shall we split the difference and go to 

 one ninety ? Shall I buy him at the best price I can, eh ? " 



" I think I'll only say one eighty, you know. Pa said I 

 wasn't to give an awful lot of money, you know." 



" All right ; leave it to me. I'll settle about the price of this 

 one before we see any more horses," and taking Mr. Fobbs 

 aside, he said — 



" My friend is a buyer if I let his head loose. You under- 

 stand, I'll recommend him to give one hundred and seventy 

 pounds " 



" And look what I should have got from the Honourable 

 Spanker ! " 



" Damn the Honourable Spanker," replied Jack with easy 

 nonchalance. "I shall bring you his father's cheque. The 

 amount of it is nothing to do with you, except as to your one 

 seventy j^ounds, remember. Is it a whizz? " 



The dealer nodded. He was rather annoyed at not having 

 secured Binkie direct, so that all the spoils might have gone 

 into his own pocket ; but on the principle that ' Half-a-loaf is 

 better than no bread,' he was fairly satisfied with the deal. 

 A ' mug ' of the Binkie order is getting more and more of a 

 rara avis in these days of almost universal 'cuteness. Jack 

 knew when he had got hold of a good thing, and he meant to 

 keep it. He rejoined Binkie, and said — 



