FLAT GAME AND SMALL GAME. 9 1 



to buy a cheap horse from its owner. He may buy a 

 cheap one in market overt if it has been stolen, with such 

 satisfaction as his conscience will allow him, but from its 

 owner never. 



I have bought several cheap horses and several nasty 

 ones, and the cheap ones were always nasty and the 

 nasty ones always cheap. I have bought expensive horses, 

 and some of these were good and very cheap if value for 

 money is the measure of cheapness. 



The cheapest horse I ever bought was a black one 

 with a fiddle head and a lamb-like eye ; but this was all 

 pretence, for his behaviour was as of a dragon. His 

 owner was riding him. " Throw your leg over him and 

 take a canter," said he. I did so. His paces were 

 beautiful. He certainly wasn't a beauty to look at, for 

 he had lost all the hair off his head ; but the owner 

 explained to me that this was an advantage, as it 

 showed that he had recovered from the horse sickness, 

 and was therefore salted. We concluded a bargain. 



Considering him somewhat low in condition, I fed him 

 up for a week. I was charmed by his mild, intelligent eye, 

 and walking round him bestowed a pat on his quarters. 



He instantly kicked me in the stomach. He had be- 

 haved well for a week in order to get me into the proper 

 position for delivering that kick. 



" Poor creature ! he wants exercise," I said to myself, 

 and so next morning I saddled him up and mounted. 



In the first second I was shot up into the air and 

 descended upon the saddle again. In the next second 

 I went up again and descended upon his neck, and on 

 the expiration of the third second I found myself lying 

 on my back on the ground with the horse trying to eat 

 me. I was rescued. 



