Did you ever Drive a Jibber down to a Fight ? 273 



out-and-out saddle hoss." I took a quiet cross-country cut to 

 Littlebury, and thus avoided the crowded road over the common ; 

 and as I cantered along the grass by the side of the lane, I kept 

 picturing to myself the Capten's rage when he found out the trick 

 I was playing him. As I passed by the inn at Littlebury, the drag 

 stood at the door. The party were inside, doubtless " washing out 

 their throats," and it is hardly necessary to say that I did not go in 

 to join them, for I was most anxious to get back to Cambridge as 

 soon as I could, and not the least anxious to face the Capten in his 

 present humour ; so I just cantered quietly by, without any one 

 observing me, and never pulled up till I reached the town. 



It was good daylight when I arrived and delivered up the 

 jibber into the ostler's hands. " So you've come back in a saddle 

 after all and whatever have you done with the Capten ?" asked 

 the man, as he carefully examined the horse all over to see 

 if he could find a blemish on him. Luckily he was as sound as 

 when he left the yard in the morning. I told him all that had 

 happened, where I had left the cart, and bade him give my com- 

 pliments to the Capten, and tell him he could have it whenever he 

 chose to send back the bridle and saddle and pay the expenses. 

 The man seemed very unwilling to undertake the job. " But 

 whatever will the Capten say to all this ? Why, it will cost him a 

 matter of about 3/. to get the cart home !" and he began totting up on 

 his fingers the different terms " 2/. is. for a harness hoss (and lucky 

 if he gets one for that in the race week), a crown for the man, a 

 crown for the ostler j and then you say there's a spring broke and a 

 panel scratched let alone the money you've won on him. No ! I 

 really do think I never dare tell him all. Can't you just step in, 

 and write a bit of a note ?" and as the poor fellow did seem in awful 

 dread of the Capten, I went into the bar and wrote as short a note 

 as I could, telling where the cart was left. I may add, that 

 although the Capten could never deny himself a single gratification, 

 he always had an eye to the main chance, and never threw a shilling 

 away where he could save it, and this the ostler well knew. This 

 ostler, like many others of his class, was a bit of a wag : and there 



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