by far the best policy;
though, as I also said before, when I'm along with thieves, I can beat
them at their own game. If I am obliged to do it, I can pass off the
veriest screw as a flying drummedary, for even when I was a child I had
found out by various means what may be done with animals. I wish now to
ask a civil question, Mr. Romany Rye. Certain folks have told me that
you are a horse witch; are you one, or are you not?"

"I, like yourself," said I, "know, to a certain extent, what may be done
with animals."

"Then how would you, Mr. Romany Rye, pass off the veriest screw in the
world for a flying drummedary?"

"By putting a small live eel down his throat; as long as the eel remained
in his stomach, the horse would appear brisk and lively in a surprising
degree."

"And how would you contrive to make a regular kicker and biter appear so
tame and gentle, that any respectable fat old gentleman of sixty, who
wanted an easy goer, would be glad to purchase him for fifty pounds?"

"By pouring down his throat four pints of generous old ale, which would
make him so happy and comfortable, that he would not have the heart to
kick or bite anybody, for a season at least."

"And where did you learn all this?" said the jockey.

"I have read about the eel in an old English book, and about the making
drunk in a Spanish novel, and, singularly enough, I was told the same
things by a wild blacksmith in Ireland. Now tell me, do you bewitch
horses in this way?"

"I?" said the jockey; "mercy upon us! I wouldn't do such things for a
hatful of money. No, no, preserve me from live eels and hocussing! And
now let me ask you how you would spirit a horse out of a field?"

"How would I spirit a horse out of a field?"

"Yes! supposing you were down in the world, and had determined on taking
up the horse-stealing line of business."

"Why, I should . . . But I tell you what, friend, I see you are trying
to pump me, and I tell you plainly that I will hear something from you
with respect to your art, before I tell you anything more. Now, how
would you whisper a horse out of a field, provided you were down in the
world, and so forth?"

"Ah, ah, I see you are up to game, Mr. Romany: however, I am a gentleman
in mind, if not by birth, and I scorn to do the unhandsome thing to
anybody who has dealt fairly towards me. Now you told me something I
didn't know, and I'll tell you something which perhaps you do know. I
whispers a h