not tell
what was o'clock, I wended my way to Horncastle, which I reached in the
evening of the same day, without having met any adventure on the way
worthy of being marked down in this very remarkable history.

The town was a small one, seemingly ancient, and was crowded with people
and horses. I proceeded, without delay, to the inn to which my friend
the surgeon had directed me. "It is of no use coming here," said two or
three ostlers, as I entered the yard--"all full--no room whatever;"
whilst one added in an undertone, "That ere a'n't a bad-looking horse."
"I want to see the master of this inn," said I, as I dismounted from the
horse. "See the master," said an ostler--the same who had paid the
negative kind of compliment to the horse--"a likely thing, truly; my
master is drinking wine with some of the grand gentry, and can't be
disturbed for the sake of the like of you." "I bring a letter to him,"
said I, pulling out the surgeon's epistle. "I wish you would deliver it
to him," I added, offering a half-crown. "Oh, it's you, is it?" said the
ostler, taking the letter and the half-crown; "my master will be right
glad to see you; why, you ha'n't been here for many a year; I'll carry
the note to him at once." And with these words he hurried into the
house. "That's a nice horse, young man," said another ostler, "what will
you take for it?" to which interrogation I made no answer. "If you wish
to sell him," said the ostler, coming up to me, and winking knowingly, "I
think I and my partners might offer you a summut under seventy pounds;"
to which kind and half-insinuated offer I made no reply, save by winking
in the same kind of knowing manner in which I observed him wink. "Rather
leary!" said a third ostler. "Well, young man, perhaps you will drink to-
night with me and my partners, when we can talk the matter over." Before
I had time to answer, the landlord, a well-dressed, good-looking man,
made his appearance with the ostler; he bore the letter in his hand.
Without glancing at me, he betook himself at once to consider the horse,
going round him, and observing every point with the utmost minuteness. At
last, having gone round the horse three times, he stopped beside me, and
keeping his eyes on the horse, bent his head towards his right shoulder.
"That horse is worth some money," said he, turning towards me suddenly,
and slightly touching me on the arm with the letter which he held in his
hand; to which obser