TAKING A-BACK. 309 



Rascal, "you see every body vot knows anything 

 knows what a furriner means. I didn't warrant him ; 

 you harn't got no law nor justice on your side ; I wish 

 you luck with him ! " The gentleman looked as if he 

 doubted very much the arrival of the luck bespoke 

 for him, and I doubt not would have sold his expec- 

 tation a bargain. In short, he did not seem to know 

 quite what to do ; but he was likely to be relieved from 

 his dilemma by a man (of course one of Mr. Rascal's 

 friends) coming up to him, and saying, " Why, I hear. 

 Sir, you have bought the broken-backed-'un : " (he was 

 broken-backed now ! ) — "he's of no use to nobody ; he 

 can't carry a pound on his back, and he can't draw 

 more nor an empty cart : he's been sold here for three 

 pound many a time. The fellow you bought him of 

 oughtn't to be allowed to come into no sale-yard." — 

 " Well," says the gentleman, " I am taken in I know; 

 I paid eighteen pounds for the horse, and am willing 

 to lose by him ; but he is not so bad as you represent 

 him." — " Ain't he, though ? " says the fellow : " just 

 let's see him out." The horse was brought out. 

 "Here," says he to some scamp in the secret, "just 

 run this horse, will you ? " The horse was put to the 

 best of his trot, turned as suddenly round as pos- 

 sible, and, as it must be Avith such horses, he nearly 

 fell on his side as he turned, and appeared for a 

 minute or two hardly able to stand. I need not go on 

 further with the thing than to say, that, as is always 

 done in such cases, a crowd of vagabonds got collected 

 round the gentleman, and to avoid their sneers, coarse 

 jokes, and being laughed at, he was glad to get out of 

 it by selhng the horse for three pounds ! But, as a 

 finale to his wounded pride and purse, in a few mi- 

 nutes afterwards he saw the fellow riding the liorse, 



X 3 



