128 TALES AND TRAITS OF SPORTING LIFE. 



A DECEIVING HORSE. 



" And wliat are you doing- witli the Oliver horse, sir?" 



'' Well, anything and everything- ; hack him, and hunt 

 him, and so on." 



" And can he jump at all ?" 



^^Yes, that he can ! He is a g-ood flying'-fencer ; and 

 nothing- I ever put him at yet has either turned him or 

 troubled him." 



'' Come, sir, now I'll tell you what I'll do. He had 

 hardly pace enough over the flat, though he would last 

 for ever. You send him up to my place, sir, for a month 

 or two, and we'll see if he can't pull off a steeplechase 

 handicap, or a hurdle-race. If he does, we'll divide it ; 

 and if he don't, I'll stand you harmless for the wear and 

 tear of his teeth." 



'' So he it. When will you have him ?" 



'* The sooner the better. I suppose there's not a deal 

 to "-et off him, for he never carried much flesh !" 



^' N-0-0 — he's just in good hard-working- condition." 



The speaker who made this handsome proposal was 

 our old friend Dominie, the trainer; while the other 

 "party " to the dialogue was a country gentleman, who 

 dearly loved a bit of racing, if there wasn't too much to 

 pay for it. The Oliver horse had been rather a sore sub- 

 ject in this wa}^ ; as he had run second, third, and fourth 

 for a year and a-half all over the country, until his very 



