BOXING THE NEW COMER. 355 



said to his wife, who fondly remarked the difference 

 of his conduct to that of his neighbour, who thrashed 

 his rib about three times a week, " I'm d d if I 

 thinks you worth it." 



We will, however, suppose the horse brought to be 

 a clever nag, and eighty is asked for him: Nickem 

 thinks this a price he can get for him : he by no 

 means, however, intends to do so ; that is, while the 

 horse belongs to the present owner, and here is a case 

 where a horse will be purposely kept unsold, though 

 not for the advantage of his livery profits. No ! if 

 Nickem can get him himself, by nominally selling him 

 to some coadjutor for sixty, he expects to make 

 twenty ; if for fifty, thirty ; and of course, if he is to 

 be had for forty, just that sum would go into Nickem's 

 pocket short what he may be forced to give his friend 

 if he employs one : if not, he pouches the whole. 

 Now this is better than livery, or saving a bushel of 

 oats worth three shillings : and men have been placed 

 in such situations, by a regularly concerted plot, as to 

 be willing to take such a reduction as forty in eighty, 

 ay, and will again, and thank Nickem too for the 

 trouble he has taken. " The horse has been unlucky 

 certainly," says the owner, " and I lose a great deal 

 of money by him ; but neither you nor I can help 

 that." Certainly the owner cannot ; but I rather 

 opine Nickem could have helped it, and by not doing 

 so has helped himself pretty handsomely. 



With such a horse, on his arrival the first thing to 

 be done is to get him out of sight till Nickem has 

 privately thoroughly overhauled him. This is very 

 easily done by putting him in a box : two men are 

 immediately set about him, clothes and bandages 

 brought, lots of warm water, &c. This is the 



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