224 DECISION. 



eye and constant habit enable him to purchase half a 

 hundred horses, so as, taking them together, they pay 

 him ; but he could not stand higgling for a few pounds 

 in the price of each horse, or even give himself time 

 to investigate every minor circumstance relative to 

 each: he buys on a broad scale, and, taking them 

 together as a lot, buys them well; of course some 

 turn out better, some a little worse, than he at 

 first sight thought them to be. Still this off-hand 

 mode of buying pays him ; for if he devoted a couple 

 of hours to the getting any one particular horse five 

 pounds cheaper, by this delay he would only gain 

 the five pounds in him, and lose fifty by missing five 

 other horses that he would have purchased in these 

 two hours. I know of no man who generally gives 

 so little trouble in buying a horse, or as a stranger is 

 so desirable a man to offer a horse to, as one of this 

 class of dealers : he sees your horse out ; if he does 

 not like him, he makes up his mind at once he 

 would not buy him at any price, but generally ci- 

 villy tells you he is a very clever horse, though too 

 big or too little for his purpose ; in fact, makes some 

 excuse for not purchasing him, so as not to offend 

 you. If, on the contrary, he thinks him adapted 

 to his purpose, he inquires the price ; and if he finds 

 it far exceeds his ideas of his value, he states at once 

 that it is far beyond what he can afford to give, thanks 

 you for the sight of him, wishes you a better customer, 

 and thinks no more about him. On the other hand, 

 if he finds you ask something like his estimation of his 

 value, he tells you what, as a dealer, he can afford 

 to give ; and if you do not take it, there is no harm 

 done. He seldom alters much in his offer : if you agree 

 to take it, he gets you to sign a receipt and warranty, 



