20 STABLE SECRETS. 



his visitations of this kind, were more of the crowbar tendency, 

 and, in accomplishing the task, he used the whole of the force 

 of which he felt himself master. 



" What's your name 1 " inquired Tom Trigg, at an early 

 period of their acquaintanceship, and when backed by a strong 

 force of attendant parasites in jackets and gaiters. 



" Doddles," replied the new comer, with combined meekness 

 in tone and manner, as he had already told him. 



" Is it really ! " rejoined Tom Trigg, with feigned astonish- 

 ment — " Doddles, is it ? I've heard that name before." 



" No doubt," returned Puffy, with pardonable pride, " for 

 it's always been coupled with 'osses." 



" Yes," added Trigg, " and knackers' yards. You may see 

 it once or twice, too," continued he, " in the Newgate Calendar." 



Puffy begged to think, with due submission, that his in- 

 formant was greatly mistaken, or if a Doddles had been con- 

 nected with knackers' yards, or charged with offences of a 

 nature likely to be recorded in the history of crime, the name 

 would be found spelt differently to his, and probably with one 

 d only. 



The attendant parasites in jackets and gaiters were now 

 indulging in that silent expression of mirth known as " broad 

 grins." 



" How's your mother 1 " abruptly asked Tom Trigg. 



Puffy Doddles heaved a gentle sigh, and with a slight shake 

 of the head, scarcely perceptible, announced that his maternal 

 parent no longer belonged to the state terrestrial. 



" She was in training, once, wasn't she ? " said Mr. Trigg. 



" Training ! "' repeated Puffy Doddles, with mingled indig- 

 nation and astonishment. " What for 1 " 



" Backed for five monkeys, I was told," returned Tom Trigg. 



Again Puffy Doddles requested to be made acquainted with 

 the undertaking or particular event for which his ever anxious 

 mother had been in training. 



"To talk a hawse's ed of, I heard," replied Mr. Trigg, 



