ou, all I can say is I will be
much disappointed."

With this preface we entered. The stable was well fitted up in every
respect. There were three horses in the stalls, and one in a
loose-box, which opened into the stable. Felworth stood for several
minutes in a sort of admiring gaze, merely remarking that he had not
seen his "pets" that day before, while they showed every symptom of
pleasure at his appearance. During this time I took a preliminary look
at the favourites individually. The first was an active-looking,
compact, black horse, with a fierce, unsettled expression of eye, and
several blemishes on his legs, while a chain attached from the wall to
the post prevented the unwary stranger from approaching too close. The
second was a powerful bay mare, with many good points, but little
beauty. The third was a remarkably handsome bay horse, of high
breeding. He was out of work, however, one of his legs being bound up.
The fourth was a thoroughbred gray horse, one of the finest animals I
ever beheld.

"Now," said Felworth, "I would much like to have an 'opinion' from
you. Tell me candidly what you think of my nags."

"I am no great critic," I replied; "but every one nowadays must be a
judge of horse-flesh. Whether or not the schoolmaster is abroad, there
is no excuse for ignorance on that subject. It strikes me that there
is great variety in your stud."

"You are right there."

"I do not much like the bearing of the black horse. I fear he is
rather eccentric."

"He is a little wayward."

"I cannot say that I admire the mare very much; she appears a homely,
useful sort of animal."

"She is a real good one though; much better than she looks. She is
famous in the shafts with the black horse before her; but I hope you
will have ocular demonstration of that to-morrow. What think you of
the bay?"

"He is a very nice horse; but he is in the stall of sickness, and
therefore we will pass over him; but the gray delights me. I would say
he is a Ganymede, a regular cupbearer."

"Well," said Felworth, "since you have spoken so discreetly, I will
tell you all about them; and, first of all, their names. The black
horse I call 'UNITS.'"

"Units! Units! Units!!!" exclaimed I.

"Yes, Units. The bay mare 'TENS;' the bay horse 'HUNDREDS;' and the
gray 'THOUSANDS.' I must give you the reasons of their nomenclature.
The first cost me L5; the second L20. I bought her from a tenant on
the property who was emigrating to Cana