PURCHASING HOESES. 61 



tend taking him to, but which were uncalled for or 

 thrown away in the one from which he came. These 

 particular cases, as may regard more or less one or 

 two horses of the stud, are only to be learned from 

 the groom. 



The mode in which you make inquiries, and the 

 inquiries in themselves, will at once show whether 

 you are one making them from idle curiosity, or for 

 any useful purpose. For instance (and such in- 

 stances do occur), if a man was to pester the groom 

 with questions, and expect him gratuitously to an- 

 swer them, he must expect to receive short answers ; 

 the man well enough judges such an inquirer to be 

 neither a buyer nor a sportsman. Ridiculous as it 

 may appear, I have heard something like the following 

 observations made and questions asked :— 



'* I want to buy a hunter — ^which of these would 

 you recommend ?'* 



Judging it would be of no use holding colloquy 

 with such a querist, and also judging that it would 

 matter little whether he was offended or not, the man 

 would probably answer something in the following 



