Jllajor Whyte JHelville 



of it. Clothed and hooded, littered to the hocks, and 

 sheeted to the tail, there was yet something about his general 

 appearance that fascinated Mr. Sawyer at once. Job saw 

 the spell was working, and abstained from disturbing it. 

 As far as could be seen, the animal was a long, low, well- 

 bred-looking roan, with short flat legs, large clean hocks, 

 and swelling muscular thighs. His supple skin threw off 

 a bloom, as if he was in first-rate condition ; and when, 

 laying his ears back and biting the manger, he lifted a fore- 

 leg, as it were, to expostulate with his visitors, the hoof was 

 round, open, and well-developed, as blue, and to all appear- 

 ance as hard, as a flint. 



' Has he jashion enough, think ye, sir ? ' asked Job, at 

 length, breaking the silence. ' Strip him, Barney,' he 

 added, taking the straw from his mouth. 



The roan winced, and stamped, and whisked his tail, 

 and set his back up during the process ; but when it was 

 concluded, Mr. Sawyer could not but confess to himself, that 

 if he was only as good as he looked^ he would do. 



* Feel his legs, Mr. Sawyer ! ' observed the dealer, 

 turning away to conceal the triumph that would ooze out. 

 ' There 's some legs — there 's some hocks and thighs ! Talk 

 of loins, and look where his tail 's set on. I never saw such 

 manners in the hunting-field. Six-year-old — not a speck 

 or blemish ; bold as a bull, and gentle as a lady ; he can go 

 as fast as you can clap your hands, and stay till the middle 

 of the week after next — jump a town, too, and never turn 

 his head from the place you put him at. As handy as a 



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