88 TALES AND TRAITS OF SPORTING LIFE. 



convinced, let tliem turn out liow they will, a direct 

 tendency to knocking your name off "the free list j" and 

 consequently I have generally confined my operations to 

 the loan of last numbers of magazines, clean shirts, opera- 

 glasses, half-crowns, umbrellas, and such like trifles, 

 which, as a matter of course, no gentleman is ever 

 expected to recollect or return — without it suits his con- 

 venience so to do. 



Still, any allusion to one grand item I have purposeh^ 

 omitted in the above enumeration — one particularly 

 adapted to my present purpose, and one which, from the 

 experience and success I have enjoyed in pursuing it, I 

 am very much inclined to consider as my own peculiar 

 property. It consists in nothing more or less than an 

 innate and high ability for hor rowing horses. Egad ! 

 the very mention of my secret in such plain language 

 nearly stays me from proceeding ; for the plan hitherto 

 has been so sj^stematically subtle as to have almost at 

 last deceived its author himself Here, by the bye, I 

 would warn the very open-hearted, unsuspecting auditor 

 from supposing my attacks could come in any such shape 

 as the following' : " My dear Williams— got the young 

 ones home for the holidays — like to give 'em a treat- 

 Hampton Court— offer of neighbour's four wheel — venture 

 to hint — your beautiful bro^vn pony — all admire so much 

 — loath to disappoint the ladies — yours ever and ever, (fee, 

 &c." And "dear Williams," picturing to himself his 

 *' beautiful brown pony" toiling through town in the 

 heat of a July noonday sun, with his head loose, and Ma 

 and Pa, and Ben and the baby, in front ; and Jennie and 

 Annie, and aunt Mary and Mr. McCarthy, the medical 

 student, and a rabbit pie, and a fillet of veal, and a York- 

 shire ham, and a rhubarb tart, and a bottle of salad,, 



