BUYING AND SELLING HORSES 179 



along and eyed it sweetly. The owner, scenting 

 a purchase, stopped. 



" Hum," said Jim. " Hum. How much ? " 



" Twenty pound." 



" Hum. Have ye a licence ? " he asked. 



" A licence ... for what ? " ejaculated the 

 owner in astonishment. 



" For the sale of spirits," murmured Jim very 

 sweetly as he strolled off. 



Another very thin beast attracted him, and after 

 some parley with the owner he got to the far side 

 of the horse and stooped down, leaning against 

 its hoop-like ribs. 



" Come close up," he said. " Close. There. 

 Can ye see me now ? " 



He took a lot of cabbers to London in the days 

 when the trade was a flourishing one and was 

 leading some of them through Tottenham Court 

 Road when one broke loose and charged straight 

 through a jeweller's window. Jim and his assistant 

 saw the brute vanish with a splattering flash of 

 silver and light jewellery. He did not stop but 

 hurried on with the other six, as hard as he 

 could. 



" Leave him there," he whispered. " He is not 

 worth fifteen pound, and seventy would not pay 

 for that windy. Leave him. He has no halther, 

 an' the Lord might sind they cannot thrack him." 



That horse was never heard of again. Whether 

 he put rings on his fingers and bells on his toes, or 



