74 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



see what was best worth seeing in their eyes, they made 

 the most of their time, nearly exhausting the energies of 

 their uncle, who made no small sacrifice in exerting them. 

 And there was one place which he had believed nothing 

 could have ever induced him to visit again, being so very 

 little to his taste, and that was Tattersall's. 



" Do let us go to Tattersall's," said Frank to his uncle, 

 on the Monday ; " I should so like to see all the fine 

 horses he sells ; besides which, I daresay, we shall meet 

 with some of papa's friend*." 



To Tattersall's then they went, and witnessed a curious 

 scene. The impatience of a schoolboy is proverbial ; and 

 that of Frank Raby for the scene of action, having got 

 the better of the tardy motions of his uncle, the party 

 found themselves at " the Corner " at least an hour and a 

 half sooner than they need have been, a period of the day 

 when the auctioneer is employed in offering for sale a 

 few low-priced hacks, as a sort of prelude to the more 

 important scene which is to follow, when the aristocratic 

 part of the audience assemble. This, however, passed 

 unnoticed by the uncle, who was no horse man, but not 

 so by Frank Raby. " What ! uncle," says he, " is this 

 the famous Tattersall's that I have heard Sir John 

 Inkleton and my father talk so much of? where Sir 

 John sold eight grey coach horses, not warranted sound, 

 for 800 ? Why, I did not see a worse set of rips at our 

 Whitsun fair ! " 



"Rips to be sure they are," said an old friend of his 

 father and uncle, who stepped out of the crowd at the 

 moment, just in time to hear the remark, "yet I have bid 

 seventeen pounds for one of them, a very useful-looking 

 pony. But let me shake you all by the hand. Raby, 

 glad to see you. Lads, who would have thought of seeing 

 you in London ? on your road to Eton, I suppose ; ana 

 how did you leave them all at the Abbey ? not coming 

 to town this season, I fear." 



"But, Mr. Verner," said Frank, interrupting him, 

 " why don't you buy the ' useful -looking pony ?' he must 

 be cheap at that money, and I hear Tattersall now cry- 

 ing out 'Going at eighteen pounds.'" "Well, Frank," 

 replied Mr. Verner, " to oblige you, I'll go another pound ; 

 you would like to have to say, when you write home, 

 that you saw me buy a horse at Tattersall's : " so catching 

 the auctioneer's eye, and tipping him a wink, down went 



