o talk to me and my partners about it to-night,"
said the ostler who had expressed an opinion that he and his friends
might offer me somewhat under seventy pounds for the animal. "Pooh!"
said the landlord, "the young man knows what he is about; in the meantime
lead the horse to the reserved stall, and see well after him. My
friend," said he, taking me aside after the ostler had led the animal
away, "recommends you to me in the strongest manner, on which account
alone I take you and your horse in. I need not advise you not to be
taken in, as I should say, by your look, that you are tolerably awake;
but there are queer hands at Horncastle at this time, and those fellows
of mine, you understand me . . .; but I have a great deal to do at
present, so you must excuse me." And thereupon went into the house.

That same evening I was engaged at least two hours in the stable, in
rubbing the horse down, and preparing him for the exhibition which I
intended he should make in the fair on the following day. The ostler, to
whom I had given the half-crown, occasionally assisted me, though he was
too much occupied by the horses of other guests to devote any length of
time to the service of mine; he more than once repeated to me his firm
conviction that himself and partners could afford to offer me summut for
the horse; and at a later hour when, in compliance with his invitation, I
took a glass of summut with himself and partners, in a little room
surrounded with corn-chests, on which we sat, both himself and partners
endeavoured to impress upon me, chiefly by means of nods and winks, their
conviction that they could afford to give me summut for the horse,
provided I were disposed to sell him; in return for which intimation,
with as many nods and winks as they had all collectively used, I
endeavoured to impress upon them my conviction that I could get summut
handsomer in the fair than they might be disposed to offer me, seeing as
how--which how I followed by a wink and a nod, which they seemed
perfectly to understand, one or two of them declaring that if the case
was so, it made a great deal of difference, and that they did not wish to
be any hindrance to me, more particularly as it was quite clear I had
been an ostler like themselves.

It was late at night when I began to think of retiring to rest. On
inquiring if there was any place in which I could sleep, I was informed
that there was a bed at my service, provided I chose to sle