WIZARDS OF THE EAST, WEST, NORTH, AND SOUTH. 297 



they now seek a little adjunct in the servant. If he 

 is a fool, they really do satisfy him the horse is worth 

 little more than they have offered ; and then letting 

 him know that a couple of sovereigns will be his if 

 they buy, in no way of course tends to induce him to 

 alter this opinion ; and he then begins to recommend 

 his master to sell if possible. Should they, however, 

 find the man has sense enough not to be their dupe, 

 they then try his honesty and bid high ; and I fear 

 on this tack they too often succeed. Having paved 

 the way in either case to the assistant offices of the 

 servant, their game is now to appear to have given 

 up all wish for the horse, which one of them, however, 

 keeps a sharp eye on, and also on every one they see 

 even looking at him. Should any one seem disposed 

 to do this, the fellow on the watch accosts him 

 " Nice nag that, Sir, TO LOOK AT ! / was pretty near 

 putting my foot in it with him." " Why," says the 

 looker-on, "is any thing the matter with him?" 



" Oh no, not for some people ; but " And he 



walks away, imitating a lame horse. This is enough ; 

 the looker-on thanks his stars he was not done, and 

 how fortunate he was to have seen that man ! The 

 other miscreant, while this is going on, gets back 

 again to Catch'em Corner to see if he can start any 

 fresh game, taking care, however, to pass and repass 

 the owner of the horse as often as he can, to show he 

 has given him up, waiting, hoping, and fully expect- 

 ing (in which he is seldom disappointed) that the 

 owner will come to him. I think I see the fellow 

 standing with a longish ground ash in his hand, which 

 he either keeps bending about or has it with his hand 

 deep in his coat-pocket. I know the very positional' 



