HOW TO MANAGE A KICKEM-NICKEM. 373 



get another horse ; or, if he is forced to drive him, he 

 will put on a kicking- strap that he cannot break, 

 pull him on his haunches the moment the tail begins 

 again ; and if he is a coachman, and has nerve, will 

 lay the whip on his ears, or in road phrase " taKe an 

 ear off." 



So with Mr. Nickem. I point out what he possibly 

 intends doing, and some of the modes that prelude 

 his kind intentions. The reader is, therefore, aware 

 there may be danger, and learns the symptoms of its 

 reaching him : so he can either change his customer at 

 once, which would perhaps be the wisest plan, or if 

 his convenience makes him use him, put on the kick- 

 ing-strap the moment he begins wriggling, and pull 

 him also on his haunches. Depend on it Nick will 

 have discrimination enough to find out that some one 

 holds the reins of his conduct who will not be trifled 

 with, and who will be quite likely to " take an ear off" 

 him if he begins any of his nonsense ; but with such 

 a man he would know too well to (as he would pro- 

 bably term it) " try it on." 



We will now see how the selling a horse for (say) 

 eighty, and handing the owner over sixty (this of 

 course minus keep, commission, and sundries), is to 

 be effected. 



I have shown how a horse is to be got down to a 

 certain price by a regularly concerted chain of ini- 

 quitous practices. In that case Nickem bought him ; 

 in this he does not ; but has still by other manoeuvres 

 got the owner to consent to his being sold at a less 

 price than Nickem knows he shall be able to get for 

 him; or perhaps from some dislike to the horse, the 

 being obliged to leave the neighbourhood, or from a 



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