rd work, with their knees knuckling
over and their hind legs swinging out at every step, and there were some
very dejected-looking old horses, with the under lip hanging down and
the ears lying back heavily, as if there were no more pleasure in life,
and no more hope; there were some so thin you might see all their ribs,
and some with old sores on their backs and hips. These were sad sights
for a horse to look upon, who knows not but he may come to the same
state.

There was a great deal of bargaining, of running up and beating down;
and if a horse may speak his mind so far as he understands, I should say
there were more lies told and more trickery at that horse fair than a
clever man could give an account of. I was put with two or three other
strong, useful-looking horses, and a good many people came to look at
us. The gentlemen always turned from me when they saw my broken knees;
though the man who had me swore it was only a slip in the stall.

The first thing was to pull my mouth open, then to look at my eyes, then
feel all the way down my legs, and give me a hard feel of the skin and
flesh, and then try my paces. It was wonderful what a difference there
was in the way these things were done. Some did it in a rough, offhand
way, as if one was only a piece of wood; while others would take their
hands gently over one's body, with a pat now and then, as much as to
say, "By your leave." Of course I judged a good deal of the buyers by
their manners to myself.

There was one man, I thought, if he would buy me, I should be happy.
He was not a gentleman, nor yet one of the loud, flashy sort that call
themselves so. He was rather a small man, but well made, and quick in
all his motions. I knew in a moment by the way he handled me, that he
was used to horses; he spoke gently, and his gray eye had a kindly,
cheery look in it. It may seem strange to say--but it is true all the
same--that the clean, fresh smell there was about him made me take to
him; no smell of old beer and tobacco, which I hated, but a fresh smell
as if he had come out of a hayloft. He offered twenty-three pounds for
me, but that was refused, and he walked away. I looked after him, but
he was gone, and a very hard-looking, loud-voiced man came. I was
dreadfully afraid he would have me; but he walked off. One or two more
came who did not mean business. Then the hard-faced man came back again
and offered twenty-three pounds. A very close bargain was being driv