Voltigeur or Fisherman.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 25 July 1891, Page 2

Voltigeur or Fisherman.

I ♦ A man who possesses a horse naturally yearns to learn the opinion of his fellow man upon it, especially if he desires to sell. A case in point oceured at the end of last week. Circumstances had transpired which produced the appearance of, if not a stranger, at any rate one who was not fully versed in the ways and doings of the little world that throbs and beats within twenty miles of the Foxton post office. If not a stranger, he was thus sufficiently so to be treated as one scripturally. A

gentleman who had a horse, a fine upstanding animal, showing both form and muscle, got into conversation with this visitor and luckily bes»an to talk "horse." The visitor was interested, entered sympathisingly into the merits of the quadruped, understood that he^ was in the market, and began to bint about the price, &c. Matters became interesting, the owner began many mental calculations as to what such a horse should be worth to him who might want io buy, and the conversation certainly pointed to some few pounds profit, when the visitor demanded his breeding! This was decidedly awkward as the owner is a man of great uprightness, and is inclined to be most particular in all matters. He could not be quite sure about the sire, the mare was decidedly a showy well bred beast, but the sire must have been either Fiahermanor Voltigeur I The two parted for a time. Another friend dropped in to see the visitor, horse again was the subject, a mare that had been driven in a cart ! Something curious had occurred, the mare had had a foal very unexpectedly, in fact it was not thought she was that way, and— just at this time the horse owner entered, and the narrator continued— and you (to owner) know the foal, it is the one you have in your paddock now ! The surprise of the visitor, the astonishment of the narrator at such surprise, and the peaceful demeanour of the owner of the horse, who it will be remembered had not heard anything of the previous conversation, may be imagined. The visitor asked what horse did you say was the sire of your animal ? Voltigeur or Fisherman. Ah, yes, thank you. This I was all, but when the owner left the visitor, remarked that though he believed the owner wanted to sell that horse, he doubted if he should buy. him.