"Here's the horse-leaper of the world!" "You mean the horse-back breaker," said the landlord.

"That big fellow would break down my cousin's horse." "Why, he weighs only sixteen stone," said Mr.Petulengro.

"And his sixteen stone, with his way of handling a horse, does not press so much as any other one's thirteen.

Only let him get on the horse's back, and you'll see what he can do!" "No," said the landlord, "it won't do." Whereupon Mr.Petulengro became very much excited; and pulling out a handful of money, said, "I'll tell you what, I'll forfeit these guineas, if my black pal there does the horse any kind of damage; duck me in the horse-pond if I don't." "Well," said the landlord, "for the sport of the thing I consent, so let your white pal get down, and our black pal mount as soon as he pleases." I felt rather mortified at Mr.Petulengro's interference; and showed no disposition to quit my seat; whereupon he came up to me and said, "Now, brother, do get out of the saddle--you are no bad hand at trotting, I am willing to acknowledge that; but at leaping a horse there is no one like Tawno.

Let every dog be praised for his own gift.