232 THE HUNTING FIELD 



up capital-less judge of yesterday. These " gentlemen dealers " 

 as they call themselves often take up the trade, because it is a 

 ready-money one — ready-money at least as far as the seller is 

 concerned, though we are not quite so sure about its being a 

 ready-money one when they are the buyers. It is then " I'll 

 give you a bill at three months," or, " If you don't want the 

 money at present, I don't care if I give the odd five : " whereas 

 the regular dealer is the credit giver, if there is any. Indeed it 

 is this credit giving that tends to run horses up to such enor- 

 mous prices in London. Even of licensed horse-dealers there 

 may be said to be two distinct classes, namely, the dealers in 

 young fresh horses, and the traffickers in aged, blemished, 

 second-hand ones, as they may be called. It is the province of 

 the latter that the "gentlemen dealers " chiefly invade. Again 

 there are men calling themselves gentlemen, and even admitted 

 into the society of those who are, who do not hesitate to act as 

 middle-men between a buyer and a seller. We have known 

 men who did not scruple to take a five-pound note for buying 

 a horse " cheaper," as they call it, for another than he could for 

 himself. These are the men who talk themselves into the 

 reputation of judges, and the ignorant and uninformed in these 

 matters are glad to avail themselves of their experience rather 

 than trust to the word of a dealer. The dealers know these 

 men, and know that unless they have their good word they 

 have very little chance of selling their horses, and of course 

 that good word must be obtained by the usual means, and, as a 

 natural consequence also, the usual means must be added to 

 the price of the horse, so that the purchaser by employing such 

 a party is in reality running up his own price. The same sort of 

 thing descends in the scale of life, and the coachman must be 

 propitiated when a new pair of horses arrive, or they will stand 

 a very poor chance of finding favour in his eyes, and the groom 

 will expect a similar compliment on the arrival of a hunter or 

 hack. 



