38 MELTON AND HOMESPUN 



paard such a shentleman's 'orse into zee old buggy; 

 zee rattle and jingle did drive him mad." 



B : " New buggy or old, it would have been just the 

 same, my friend, for the pony has never been in harness 

 until now since he was foaled." 



A : " Ach ! but there is not such a saddle'orse in all 

 Johannesburg; it is beautiful to ze him with a man on 

 his back; (wheedlingly) vill zee shentleman get up and 

 try him across zee square." 



B : " No, thankee, we've already had the pleasure of 

 seeing you drive him, and that is sufficient for one day. 

 How much will you take for the brute ? " 



A : " Ach ! We are not anxious to part with the 

 beautiful paard, but if you do vant him very bad you shall 

 'ave him for twenty-vive pond." 



B : " Twenty-five pounds be hanged ! Why, man, 

 he's blind of an eye, long in the tooth, and his hocks are 

 cut all to pieces. Tell you what, you throw in a halter 

 and we'll give you a fiver for him." A, stamps and dances 

 round for some ten minutes, but finally consents, with a 

 very ill grace, to accept 8 zos. for Blind Hookey and is. 

 for a halter. The money is paid over, and a Cape boy 

 leads the pony out to B's modest establishment, which 

 lies some eight miles outside the Golden City. 



In spite of having been told, many a time and oft, that 

 a younger son should take less care of his own neck than 

 that of a borrowed mount, having purchased and paid 

 for Blind Hookey in hard cash, and having seen him in a 

 playful mood the preceding day, we felt quite justified 

 in putting a monkey-like Cape boy on his back before 

 venturing to get up ourselves. We, however, watched 

 very carefully the saddling and bitting of the galloway, 



