128 Our Noblest Friend, The Horse 



" fudge." These signals always secured advance 

 of some sort, and of varied celerity, and increase of 

 pace was to be reached by more vigorous application 

 of the same methods, reinforced, if necessity im- 

 pelled and time pressed, by a grasping of the whip, 

 and a vigorous application of it along the whole 

 length of Dobbin's framework. 



Therefore any other equine cloth is to be at once 

 cut according to this familiar coat, and the young 

 horse-flesh fro^m the country, and just added to 

 Smith's earthly goods and chattels, finds himself 

 brought to the door ; not improbably left standing 

 alone while Smith goes into the house tO' hunt for 

 his gloves (Dobbin always stood so, why not any 

 horse?), and once the family is safely installed in 

 the vehicle, receives, to his amazement and disgust, 

 a more or less violent jerk in the mouth, while his 

 ears are saluted by a volley of sounds, reminding 

 him of the old hens, which he used to hear about 

 the barnyard at home, calling to their chickens. 

 While thus bewildered, he is further outraged by 

 receiving a slap of the reins on the quarters and 



