206 THE HUNTING-FIELD. 



" I gave/' said my guest, '^ a hundred and fifty 

 guineas for my liorse, or at least your friend did 

 for me/' 



" And I consider liim worth more money to 

 any man to-morrow, if he wants a fine horse and 

 good hnnter/' said I. 



'^ But/' added my friend, " I consider your 

 horse as good as given to you." 



" That is more than his owner did, I can tell 

 you," said I, " for he jokingly wished me ^ joy of 

 my bargain ; ' but then, recollect, he was a mere 

 turf man, and possibly thought I was fool enough 

 to buy the horse intending to run him. This 

 shows you how much the value of horses depends 

 on their being placed in situations for wdiich their 

 qualities fit them. I gave quite as much as he 

 was worth at the time. He had only as recom- 

 mendations good size, good looks, and action, and 

 is of the best running blood (in stable phrase), 

 ' both sides of his head,' in the kingdom. To set 

 against that, he was only rising five, not the best 

 of tempers, at times restive, and Avould not jump 

 a potato trench. His fasliionable blood was of 

 no use to him as a gelding, and as a hunter, 

 whether a horse is by (we will say) Lanercost 

 at twenty-five guineas, or Lanncelot at eight, is 

 no great matter : very likely the latter might get 

 the best hunters ; for, let it l)e remembered, that 

 supposing a horse to be winner of the Derby 



