hat he had better make
himself scarce, which he did, and I hope I shall never see him again. So
I suppose you are come for the horse; mercy upon us!--who would have
thought you would have become the purchaser? The horse, however, seemed
to know it by its neighing. How did you ever come by the money?
However, that's no matter of mine. I suppose you are strongly backed by
certain friends you have.'

I informed the landlord that he was right in supposing that I came for
the horse, but that, before I paid for him, I should wish to prove his
capabilities. 'With all my heart,' said the landlord. 'You shall mount
him this moment.' Then, going into the stable, he saddled and bridled
the horse, and presently brought him out before the door. I mounted him,
Mr. Petulengro putting a heavy whip into my hand, and saying a few words
to me in his own mysterious language. 'The horse wants no whip,' said
the landlord. 'Hold your tongue, daddy,' said Mr. Petulengro. 'My pal
knows quite well what to do with the whip; he's not going to beat the
horse with it.' About four hundred yards from the house there was a
hill, to the foot of which the road ran almost on a perfect level;
towards the foot of this hill I trotted the horse, who set off at a long,
swift pace, seemingly at the rate of about sixteen miles an hour. On
reaching the foot of the hill, I wheeled the animal round, and trotted
him towards the house--the horse sped faster than before. Ere he had
advanced a hundred yards, I took off my hat, in obedience to the advice
which Mr. Petulengro had given me, in his own language, and holding it
over the horse's head, commenced drumming on the crown with the knob of
the whip; the horse gave a slight start, but instantly recovering
himself, continued his trot till he arrived at the door of the
public-house, amidst the acclamations of the company, who had all rushed
out of the house to be spectators of what was going on. 'I see now what
you wanted the whip for,' said the landlord, 'and sure enough that
drumming on your hat was no bad way of learning whether the horse was
quiet or not. Well, did you ever see a more quiet horse, or a better
trotter?' 'My cob shall trot against him,' said a fellow dressed in
velveteen, mounted on a low powerful-looking animal--'my cob shall trot
against him to the hill and back again--come on!' We both started; the
cob kept up gallantly against the horse for about half the way to the
hill, when