22 HOUND AND HORN 



wad dae if they askit me — what A think they shood 

 dae : they shood juist keep blatterin' on at them nicht 

 an' day." 



After several more oracular utterances, and before 

 the house-lights appeared, I began to think I pre- 

 ferred Batters' taciturn mood. 



When he had received the instructions for next day, 

 and before driving off to the stables, he whispered 

 mysteriously that he had seen '' the best shapit horse " 

 in the countryside that evening at Brockie's livery 

 stables while waiting for the train. 



'' He's a graund tappit yin, an' a graund middle't 

 yin, an' the finest leggit yin, wi' the best per o' 

 fower legs — the best set o' fower legs — A ever clappit 

 een on. Short cannon banes, an' hocks ner the 

 grund, nerrer as ony A ever saw ; in fack his hocks 

 is on the grundy He then blew into my ear: ''He 

 micht be bocht for a hunder." Almost in the same 

 breath he groaned : " Dinna buy that mere o' Maister 

 Willyum's." 



Expressing a desire to have an opportunity of 

 inspecting the phenomenal horse, and disclaiming 

 all desire to possess the grey mare, I for the third 

 and last time wished him good-night. 



