42 THE STUD. 



hundred pounds would, in such a case, be reduced 

 to as many pence in twelve hours. I can produce 

 an instance. 



On one occasion, a neighbour of mine came to 

 me when, in dressing-gown and slippers, I was 

 indulging in a cigar and glass of brandy punch, 

 after a day's hunting. He begged me to go and 

 see a favourite mule that had been ill since the 

 preceding evening. I have no doubt she had 

 been ill before he perceived it. I found her 

 standing the picture of despair, and suffering 

 under acute inflammation of the lungs. I was 

 proceeding immediately to bleed her. This, how- 

 ever, he objected to : " She was weak enough 

 already, poor creature, without being made 

 weaker." Of course I pocketed my fleam and 

 the aflTront together ; but, feeling a little nettled 

 at being disturbed in my half siesta to no purpose, 

 I told him his mule would die, unless he got her 

 immediate assistance. He promised to do so in 

 the morning. " The morning I" said I, " she will 

 be dead before the morning." This he would not 

 believe ; so, to punish him, I betted him a couple 

 of pounds she was a dead one before my breakfast. 

 In the morning I sent to know the result. She 

 was taken much worse about two in the morning, 

 and died in three hours afterwards. 



I mention this anecdote, as one among many 

 somewhat similar results I have witnessed of this 



