HE GETS HIS PRICE FOR "^ PONY." 227 



dred for him last year; he was only a baby then; 

 I like him better now at the odd fifty; there, go 



in." " Come on : why that horse is lame. I said 



yesterday I was sure he did not go level, but the Gen- 

 tleman said he never was lame in his life : I dare say 

 he thought so ; he must go back ; let him be put in a 

 loose box, and I will write about him." . . . . " Ah ! here 

 comes one I was sure I sliould not like. I hated the 

 devil the minute I saw him; but I was fool enough to 

 be tempted by price : I thought him cheap : sarves me 

 right : there take him away ; I've seen enough of him ; 

 we'll shijj him as soon as he gets home to somebody 



at some price." " Here's a horse I gave plenty 



of money for; but he is a nice nag: I wanted him 



for a match for Lady : she is a good customer, 



and I mean to let her have him just for his expenses ; 



go in. Jack, and bring out the pony." " There 



now, if I know what a nice pony is, there's one ; 

 I gave eighty for him ; he'll roll over — (roll over 

 means just double his cost price) : I mean him for 



Lord ; he won't ride one over fourteen hands, 



and rides eighteen stone: he's cheap to him at a 

 hundred and sixty : if such men won't pay, and they 

 want to ride, let them go by the road waggon." 



This is a tolerably general sample of the kind of 

 observations likely to be made on horses bought in a 

 fair ; and allowing it to be so, the Reader will see, that 

 if a dealer sometimes buys too dear, how little chance 

 would a person unaccustomed to fairs have in at- 

 tempting to purchase there? It cannot be a matter 

 of surprise that the dealer, however good a judge he 

 may be, should perhaps buy one out of six that may 

 not pay him : it is only surprising that he should get 

 so many that do. Let a private individual try to do 



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