the gent's willin' to sell her," chimed in another.

"He's goin' to ax me three hundred dollars," said a third, "an' I an't
a-goin' to gi' him no more than two hundred."

"You are all wrong, every man of you," said Seth. "He's bringing her to
England, a present for the Queen, for her own ridin'."

"And I beg to say, gentlemen, that none of you have hit upon the right
track yet; nor do I think it necessary to correct you more fully. But
as you appear to take an interest in my concerns, I may mention that
I shall want a hack for my servant's riding,--a short-legged,
square-jointed thing, clever to go, and a good feeder, not much above
fourteen hands in height, or four hundred dollars in price. If you
chance upon this--"

"I know your mark."

"My roan, with the wall-eye. You don't mind a walleye?"

"No, no! my black pony mare's the thing the gent's a lookin' for."

"I say it's nothing like it," broke in Seth. "He's a-wantin' a half-bred
mustang, with a down-east cross,--a critter to go through fire and
water; liftin' the fore-legs like a high-pressure piston, and with a
jerk of the 'stifle' like the recoil of a brass eight-pounder. An't I
near the mark?"

"Not very wide of it," said I, nodding encouragingly.

"She 's at Austin now. You an't a-goin' there?"

"Yes," said I; "I hall be in Austin next week."

"Well, never you make a deal till you see my black pony," cried one.

"Nor the roan cob," shouted another.

"He 'd better see 'em 'fore he sees Split-the-wind, then, or he 'd not
look at 'em arter," said Seth. "You 've only to ask for Seth Chiseller,
and they 'll look me up."

"You an't a-goin' to let us see Butcher's mare afore we go?" said one to
the ostler.

"I an't, because I have n't got the key. She's a double-locked, and the
cap 'n never gives it to no one, but comes a-feedin' time himself, to
give her corn."

After a few muttered remarks on this caution, the horse-dealers
sauntered out of the yard, leaving me musing over what I had heard, and
wondering if this excessive care of the landlord boded any suspicion
regarding the winner of the prize.

"Jist draw that bolt across the gate, there, will ye," said the ostler,
while he produced a huge key from his pocket. "I know 'em well, them
gents. A man must have fourteen eyes in his head, and have 'em back and
front too, that shows 'em a horse beast! Darn me coarse! if they can't
gi' 'un a blood spavin in a squirt of tobacco! Let's see your ticket,