Buying a Horse at Tattersall's.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 136, 18 June 1872, Page 7

Buying a Horse at Tattersall's.

-j The following lively description of the I above operation, by a young gentleman who I wishes to buy an entire stud in one single j animal,—one that he may ride, drive, hack, | or hunt, —is from Land and Water: — " No. 625, ' Jumping Jenny,' has been hacked, hunted, carried a lady, and been driven in harness." "How old is slier' asks Mr Spoon—who, we may mention, is a youth of two or three and twenty —of the I seedy-looking helper who "belongs to her." I " Six holf, haint she, Bob ?" appealing to anI other seedy-looking individual, who is quite I casually present, attired in a white hat worn i rather loosely on one side, light trousers, a closely-buttoned coat, with a dirty white handkerchief tied in voluminous folds round his neck. Bob, "for greater certainty," as the Chancery answer runs, " craves leave to refer" to her mouth, which, having been wrenched open, he diligently scans, and pronounces oracularly, " Coming six, I should say." " Has she hunted much V asks the young querist. "'Unted! Why, wot's she got her name for ? She had used to be called j 'The Industrious Flea.' But, bless ye, my I guvnor won't stand nothing low, he won't; I and so he got an act of Parliament, or"—(obI servingsome sign of incredulityon Mr Spoon's J faca)— "leave from the Jockey Club, or sumI mut, to change it." " Does she go well in harness]" "Well in 'arness ! (scornfully.) I only wish you could see her in 'arness !" "But, I say, you know"—(here Mr Spoon waxes confidential)—"is she now really all right, you know ?"—(slipping, as the crucial query is propounded, half-a-crown into Bob's dirty hand.) "Thankee, sir. All right! I Look 'ere now ; she's as right as I am. I I can't say no more, can I ?" Mr Spoon, appaIrently satisfied with the exhaustive character 'if this last illustration, edges himself as close as possible to the rostrum, and in a few minutes, with fluttering heart, sees "Jumping Jenny" led out. Possibly one more observant might have remarked a slight, shuffling slip at the door, a cautious, feeling sort of action, on the part of the horse ; and, on the part of the runner, that he held the rein especially short, and his hand especially high. Two or three sharp flips with a whip, acknowledged by sharp, sideway kicks, bring the 'jumper" up to the box at the double, and hut that the runner throws his whole weight on the bit, she would evidently have been through it. "A real bold little lot, that," mutters some one behind Mr Spoon, just loud enough to be heard; " a real bold 'un; would jump at a church, I do believe." Mr Pain, the auctioneer, reads the description, as usual. The jumper is put in at the ridiculously low figure of twenty guineas, but snee%run up to thirty-three. " Thirty-three guineas in two places!" shouts Mr Pain. Thirty-four for you. Going at thirty-four, and she is to be sold !" " Thirtv-five,'" simpers Mr Spoon, in a voice that few ears but such practised ones as his for whom it is intended would catch. " Thirty-five guineas wa; she's to be sol.l! Going at thirty-five

guineas ; for the last time at thirty-five !" Bang. "She's your's, sir. AVhat name, pray ? Your card, thank you. Lot 30, &c." Mr Spoon returns to the stable, and finds his new purchase with a knot of admirers round her, already denuded of her gay clothing; a baggy-breeched, calf-less nondescript, who .has, almost in defiance of Mr Spoon, and in utter disregard of his assurance that he will " send his own groom," got the job of "talcing her home," is twisting a yard or two of penny cord, by courtesy denominated a halter, into a loop-fur insertion into the mare's mouth. " You've been and got the best liit of stuff in the yard, sir," whispers the gentleman in the white choker. " 1 tried it on a bit, but, bless you ! I couldn't stand against you. I know'd it would be of no use, and I didn't want to be a runnin' of you up, you know. You wouldn't take a couple of sovs. on your bid now, would you ?" Mr Spoon looks unresolved, and his friend walks away without waiting for an answer. The mare is led forth to the establishment of a neighbouring vet., where he finds that, besides the patent defect of blindness, she possesses nearly every other which horse nature is heir to.