BUYING AND SELLING HORSES 183 



to find when she was examined that she was 

 hopelessly unsound. 



This was quite clever. 



To go to an Irish horse fair is a joy. Extraordi- 

 nary beasts are being pounded at a gallop up and 

 down the streets, groups of men are gathered round 

 some wretched beast while buyers and sellers 

 haggle for five shillings. 



" Split the difference. No. I will not. Good- 

 bye to ye then. Split it, Andy. Don't make a liar 

 of me." 



" Put it there." A hand held out for the ratifi- 

 cation of the bargain. *' Put it there now. Nine- 

 teen ten an' five shillin' back for luck. No, I could 

 not give twenty. Twenty pound I give meself, 

 Devil a lie in, an' I at a loss with him now. . . . 

 Put it there, sir." Smack ! the hands meet. 

 The horse j oins a string for the train and the seller 

 proceeds to disburse the luck penny and more in 

 drinks. 



Someone in wondrous check breeches rides 

 something with a head and tail, no middle and 

 no legs, up the street. A large rusty " curb " bit 

 marks that this is a hunter. 



*' Trot him down — nodding," whispers the 

 dealer. " Lame is it. May be he skid on one of 

 them rocks the Corporation scathers. Lame. He 

 niver wint a lame step in his life. Lep is it. The 

 grandest hunther ever looked through a bridle. 

 He'd blind any horse in the fair. And I afther 



