HARK FORRARD! 9! 



budge. A happy thought struck: me, so I 

 jumped on again, cantered off up the street, 

 turned down a lane by the side of the hotel 

 (there is nothing less than an hotel in America). 

 I jumped off at the stables, took the horse in, 

 pulled off the bridle, went out and shut the 

 door, and put my eye to the keyhole. Just as 

 i expected, I had hardly time to close the door 

 before he caught fair hold. I heard it plainly, 

 I went in again, put his bridle on, and rode 

 him back to where my friend was standing. 

 He evidently had quite made up his mind that 

 I meant to have the horse. " Well, stranger, 

 I reckon you will give me the one hundred 

 and seventy dollars now." " No, thank you," 

 said I, " he won't suit me." " Say, what are 

 his points you don't like ? " " He is a crib- 

 biter, as I thought he was at first." " How 

 do you know ? " I told him what I had done ; 

 he was not the least angry or disappointed, he 

 just looked at me for a minute and then said, 

 " What'll you take ? " He introduced me to 

 two or three of the leading people of that part 



