A SELL. 67 



" Money would not buy him !" replied the other. 



"Oh, you're a fool," said he, as he turned on his 

 heel, and left the place. 



The reputed owner now entered. 



" Oh, you here, Mr. Eoby ? come, settle with me 

 for this bay horse ; I want to be off." 



" Oh, yes ! I'll pay you for him ; it was all my non- 

 sense, or I should have paid you in the yard ; however, 

 I'll fetch you a cheque ;" and away he reeled for the 

 52 10s. cheque, which the landlord (who I may say 

 was also a confederate) changed, or pretended to do so, 

 it being then past banking hours. 



The horse was a " chinked" (nearly broken) backed 

 one, not worth more than his hide and shoes, for 

 any kind of work. He was taken to "Harrington on 

 the day appointed, but instead of Mr. Eoby meeting 

 with the man who had bought him for a match-horse, 

 and receiving his five pounds profit, he was met by ano- 

 ther gang of copers (connected with the first lot) ; they 

 pinched the vertebra of the poor horse's back till his 

 hocks touched the ground. Poor Old Roby was hocus- 

 sed and bullied, and they finally bought the horse for 

 3 10s., and made him stand dinners and lots of brandy 

 for seven or eight of the most notorious copers that in- 

 fest the fairs, markets, and repositories in the north of 

 England. 



It is needless to say that Mr. Roby never entered the 

 yard of another " horse repository " again ; but I heard 

 many persons say that every time he passed the gate of 



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