THE WELSH FABMER. 3 



drove of sheep to Chester fair last spring. The coper 

 was in a gig, and invited the farmer to get in and ride, 

 leaving the sheep in care of a lad and the dog. He accepted 

 the coper's offer, and rode with him to Chester, a dis- 

 tance of ahout five miles. They were very chatty to- 

 gether, and in course of conversation the coper told the 

 farmer that his business at the fair was to buy two or 

 three horses for his master, a nobleman, for whom he 

 was farm bailiff. 



"But," says he, *! am not over-fond of my job, for 

 I have not been much accustomed to the purchasing of 

 Lorses at fairs, there are so many of these rascally copers 

 who frequent fairs, and I am afraid of being cheated. 

 Do you know anything about horse-dealing ?" said he 

 to the farmer. 



" Nothing at all ; I never deal in anything but sheep, 

 and it is seldom that I attend fairs," replied the "Welsh- 

 man. 



They reach Chester, and drive into the yard of an inn, 

 when the horse is stabled. They then adjourn to the 

 bar parlour, and the "Welshman pays for glasses, and 

 soon after they separate about thrdr respective business. 

 The Welshman strolls about the fair until the lad arrived 

 with the sheep. The coper keeps his eye upon all his 

 movements, and in the meantime weaves his net, with 

 which he intends to catch his unsuspecting victim. He 

 first transfers the horse and gig which he drove to the 

 fair, to a confederate. The gang then consult, and the 



