FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE 



call that hock smooth? Isn't he over a little 

 mite on that knee? Eyes look kinder blinky. 

 Sure he ain't moon-eyed, hey ? Don't kick, does 

 he ? Looks kinder mean. Well, hitch him up, 

 and if he don't balk, and ain't much scared of 

 'lectrics, why, Henry, we '11 drive him up to the 

 house and see what grandma and Mr. Brown 

 and the folks think." Now what is a dealer to 

 do with people like that? What would you do 

 yourself to a man who thus maligned a horse you 

 knew to be absolutely all right ; a man who, you 

 could tell the moment you saw him, didn't know 

 a horse-car from a car-horse, and was simply 

 handing out a lot of drivel which he had acquired 

 at second-hand, and with which he was trying to 

 impress you. Every word was a covert insult; 

 every look a slap in the face; and as human nature 

 is weak and prone to err, we must not blame the 

 dealer if he occasionally is tried too far, and hands 

 back to. the Uncle Johns (who are so prevalent) 

 " what is coming to him, and good and plenty," 

 as Westerners would say. 



Remember that, as a class, horse-dealers are as 

 reputable as any business men. Investigation 

 will prove that while there are in our penal insti- 

 tutions numerous black sheep of all trades, busi- 



6 



