348 A PUBLIC CONVENIENCE. 



these cases or at inns (where I was known) I always 

 found my horses made as comfortable as in their own 

 stables, whatever other people's might be. Even a 

 shilling extra will do this, and it is a very cheap mode 

 of preventing coughs, colds, and cracked heels. 



Now for the other apprehension, of a horse being 

 kept unsold for the sake of his livery. This is a thing 

 rarely done ; but when he is so kept, it is for a much 

 more rascally purpose than the paltry consideration 

 supposed. No, no ; if you are intended to be robbed, 

 depend on it, it will be done to a much larger tune 

 than a few oats, or the five or six shillings per week 

 profit on the livery. 



We will suppose a person has been unfortunate 

 enough to send a horse to a Repository for private 

 sale where the master (who we will call Mr. Nickem) 

 is as great a rogue as you could desire : of course, the 

 result would depend a great deal on who sent him 

 there, and how far he knew and was known to under- 

 stand how to guard against any tricks that might be 

 wished to be played him. We will, however, suppose 

 in this case the horse to be sent by some one knowing 

 about as much of Nickem's practices as the generality 

 of persons do of those of many of the Repositories for 

 the private sale of horses. In large provincial towns 

 there is also often a weekly sale by auction : now this is 

 really a very great convenience, as it affords the seller 

 the choice of being done privately or publicly, and 

 effectually by either mode. 



But before I proceed further with Mr. Nickein and 

 his Repository, I must make a little digression, in 

 order to answer two more observations I have heard 

 made as complaints against the owners of Reposi- 

 tories ; for let every man have justice at all events. 



