young master, and I 'll show you Charcoal,--. that's her name."

"Here it is," said I, "signed by the agent at Galveston, all right and
regular."

"The cap'n must see to that. I only want to know that ye have the
number. Yes, that 's it; now stand a bit on one side. Ye 'll see her
when she comes out."

He entered the stable as he spoke, and soon re-appeared, leading a tall
mare, fully sixteen hands high, and black as jet; a single white star on
her forehead, and a dash of white across the tail, being the only marks
on her. She was bursting with condition, and both in symmetry and action
a splendid creature.

[Illustration: 324]

"An't she a streak of lightnin', and no mistake?" said he, gazing on
her with rapture. "An't she glibber to move nor a wag of a comet's
tail, when he 's taking a lark round the moon? There's hocks! there's
pasterns! Show me a gal with ankles like 'em, and look at her, here!
An't she a-made for sittin' on?"

I entered into all his raptures. She was faultless in every
point,--save, perhaps, that in looking at you she would throw her eye
backwards, and show a little bit too much of the white. I remarked this
to the ostler.

"The only fault she has," said he, shaking his head; "she mistrusts a
body always, and so she's eternally a lookin' back, and a gatherin' up
her quarters, and a holdin' of her tail tight in; but for that, she's
a downright regular beauty, and for stride and bottom there ain't her
equal nowhere."

"Her late master was unlucky, I've heard," said I, insinuatingly.

"He was so far unlucky that he could n't sit his beast over a torrent
and a down leap. He would hold her in, and she won't bear it at a
spring, and so she flung him before she took the leap; and when _she_
lit, 't other side, with her head high and her hind legs under her, _he_
was a sittin' with his 'n under his arm, and his neck bruck,--that was
the way o' it. See now, master, if ever ye do want a great streak out
of her, leave the head free a bit, press her wi' your calves, and give a
right down reg'lar halloo,--ha! like a Mexican chap; then she'll do it!"

The ostler found me a willing listener, either when dwelling on the
animal's perfections, or suggesting hints for her future management; and
when at last both these themes were tolerably exhausted, he proceeded to
show me the horse-gear of saddle, and bridle, and halter, and holsters,
all handsomely finished in Mexican taste, and studded with brass nai