THE HORSE DEALE&. 61 



the hind-quarters in constant play ; and on rounding 

 the turn, out go the horse's heels, as if he fully intended 

 to plant them neatly on the ribs of that man with the 

 green spectacles, who could not get the focus in time 

 to get out of the way. 



The crowd closes up round the horse, and an indivi- 

 dual the model of a horse-dealing man of substance 

 walks steadily up to the horse's head, places his whip or 

 ash-plant under his left arm, and examines the horse's 

 mouth, looks (for the corroborating proofs) at the 

 " glims," runs his hand down the inside of the fore- 

 legs, picks up his feet and examines them, apparently 

 with great care, passing the left hand along the near 

 side, until it grasps the tail. 



" "Wo, boy," said he, as he glanced his own practised 

 -eye back to the horse's, to ascertain whether he might 

 take a liberty, " all right." 



The eye only indicates anxiety, not roguery (the man 

 knows full well the difference), and the hands (which 

 have been used for this purpose thousands of times) are 

 passed gently over the inside of the hock joints, to feel 

 for spavins, which, although invisible to the eye, may 

 be springing, but nothing objectionable appears to be 

 there, and the seat of curbs (back part, below the hocks) 

 is examined with due care ; the man steps backward a 

 yard or two, and casts his eye over the general contour 

 of the horse ; he then slowly retires into the crowd (all 

 of whom have been watching his movements), and in. 

 the course of a few seconds 



