RUBY. 43 



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fling his eye-glass loose, and grin in derision. 

 " Fuchs is — how you call 1 — ' heelty,' an ge- 

 sund ; wenn you like, your Ike will go to my 

 company to bring him." I did like, and I had 

 no scruples against buying him for one hundred 

 and twenty-five dollars. Ike, a handsome con- 

 traband, went early the next morning with a 

 halter for the Fuchs, and I was up bright and 

 betimes to try him. 



I had only seen the horse before under the 

 saddle, perfectly equipped, perfectly bitted, and 

 perfectly ridden, an almost ideal charger. There 

 was a great firebrand scar on t. e flat of 

 each shoulder, where he had been fired for a 

 cough, — so said Gluckmansklegge ; — others in- 

 timated that this effaced a U. S. brand ; but, 

 except this, not a sign of a blemish. In form, 

 action, style, color (chestnut), and training he 

 was unexceptionably good, and might well ex- 

 cite the envy of all good horsemen who saw him 

 under the saddle. Knowing him so well? I went 

 rather eagerly to the picket-line to refresh my- 

 self with the added sensation that the actual 

 ownership of such a horse must give. 



