PTJECHASING HOESES. 39 



do this incog., well knowing their interference could 

 do no good, and feeling convinced the owner of the 

 establishment would get the best price he could in- 

 duce persons to give, usually accustomed to bid 

 for machiners, omnibus horses, and animals of that 

 Uk. 



Though the person of the owner of the horses 

 was quite unknown in the yard, some hint had been 

 given to the stablemen ; for, on our hero making his 

 appearance, the head man, touching his hat, opened 

 the ball by saying, 



*' Nice horses, yours, Sir ; we don't often get a 

 stud on sale here." 



Our hero rather liked this, and rather liked the 

 head man, or rather foreman, thought him a civil 

 fellow, and also thought that he thought favourably 

 of the horses — so slipped five shillings into his hand 

 as earnest of what he might expect if the horses sold 

 well. 



The friend smiled at all this, and the meaning of 

 that smile may be expressed by one word — '* gam- 

 mon :" not that he thought the five shillings misap- 



