284 In Scarlet and Silk 



He's a good horse, and a generous horse, hut 

 he's a horseman s horse, and it ain't everyhody 

 who could ride that horse as he should be 

 ridden. That's why I want you to buy him, 

 sir. Now, do you see ? " 



See ! how could any one help seeing ? Ex- 

 traordinary thing it is how quick some of 

 these people are. This one always had a 

 very high order of intelligence, I am sure. 

 As I said before, one can't higgle with a man 

 like that. You pull out your cheque-book, 

 and after a feeble, " Think you ought to 

 say pounds, you know," fill it up for one 

 hundred and seventy guineas, give direc- 

 tions for the transfer to your own stable of 

 the new purchase, and drive back to town 

 with the comforting reflection that you have 

 got " a hunter." 



On the following Monday you find yourself 

 at Tatt's in consequence of an announcement 

 in the Field that the stud of eight hunters 

 — " well known with the Quorn and Mr. 

 Fernie's " — belonging to Sir Outrun Constable, 

 will be sold w^ithout reserve, the owner having 



