Did you ever Drive a Jibber down to a Fight ? 263 



himself upon one accomplishment more than other, it was in 

 screwing an awkward horse in and out of a crowd. He was too 

 heavy for violent horse exercise j but if it had been possible to follow 

 hounds in his four-wheeler, I'll warrant he would have seen as 

 much of a run as any man. The old hackney coachman's remark 

 to the swell, " Ah ! you look like a coachman, but you drive like a 

 gentleman" would certainly not have applied to him j for when 

 he was on the box he not only looked a workman, but he was 

 one. 



About eight next morning we were in the yard, and the jibber 

 put to. Let the horse be what he might, he certainly was a very 

 showy-looking one 5 and when the Capten, cigar in mouth, had 

 mounted the new dog-cart in all the pride of a neat drab coat and 

 a horse-rug artistically wrapped round his knees, I could not help 

 fancying that a more sporting turn-out would hardly leave Cam- 

 bridge that morning. I asked the ostler quietly how about the 

 " saddle and the sack ?" but he seemed overawed in the Cap ten's 

 presence, and never said a word. I jumped up into the cart beside 

 the Capten ; the man led us out of the gateway, and we rattled up 

 Trumpington-street at about nine miles an hour, without the 

 slightest attempt at jibbing on the horse's part. It seemed as if he 

 really knew he had a man behind him who would stand no nonsense ; 

 and we were soon clear of the town, and bowling along the smooth 

 turnpike-road as gaily as you please. The morning was fine, the 

 air pure and bracing, the Capten was in high spirits, and I fancy 

 felt a little proud in showing me how well he could handle a horse 

 respecting whom I had hinted my fears on the preceding evening. 

 He was evidently, however, quite prepared, for he kept the horse 

 well up to the collar j and if ever he showed the least symptoms of 

 shirking, down came the double thong across his quarters, with, 

 " Oh ! you would, would you ? you brute !" In fact, he never gave 

 the horse time to think about playing any tricks ; he was evidently 

 bent upon showing him that his master was behind him, and this 

 he did with a vengeance. I now began to feel quite at my ease, 

 and fancied that die jibbing existed only in the musty brain of the 



