THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 75 



the hammer, with " For you, Mr. Verner, I believe ; " 

 followed by a nod of assent from his customer. 



Now, were it not for the well-known rapidity with 

 which the Messrs. Tattersall dispose of the commencement 

 of their sales, to make way for more business-like pro- 

 ceedings, it might be difficult to reconcile, or account for 

 the following fact, though fact it surely be. 



" Pray, sir," said a countrified-looking man to Mr. 

 Verner, in about ten minutes after his purchase had been 

 made, and as all the party were on the road to the large 

 stable, to which they supposed the " useful- looking pony " 

 was returned till claimed " have ye got a mon here to 

 take away the cow, or must she 'bide where she is 

 to-night ? " " The cow ! " exclaimed Mr. Verner, " what 

 cow ? " 



" Why," resumed the countryman, " the nice black 

 Aklerney Mr. Tattersall knocked down to ye for eighteen 

 pounds ; a better creature for milk never had a pail put 

 under her." 



The case was exactly this : " the useful-looking pony " 

 had been disposed of during the salutation between Mr. 

 Verner and his friends, and the Alderney cow had been 

 the next lot brought up. She was going for seventeen 

 pounds, but for the exchange of the wink and the nod 

 just in the nick of time, which consigned her to the 

 possession of Mr. Verner. 



The evening preceding the day on which the young 

 Rabys were to repair to Eton, his uncle was addressed 

 by Francis with " By what coach do we go to Eton, to- 

 morrow, uncle ? " 



" By the Windsor and Eton ' True Blue,' of course ; it 

 will put you down at your dame's door. But what makes 

 you ask the question ] " 



"Why," resumed Frank, " Sir John Inkleton particularly 

 wished us to go by the Birmingham ' Prince of Wales ' 

 coach, which would put us down at Slough, where it 

 changes horses, and we should only have a mile to walk. 11 



" But your luggage," observed Mr. Raby, " what is to 

 become of that ? " 



" Oh ! " continued Frank, " Sir John said that old 

 Baldwin, who keeps the 'Crown' at Slough, on our 

 mentioning his name to him, would send our luggage to 

 Eton in a cart." 



There must be some motive for all this, thought the 



