CHAPTER XXXVII.
HORNCASTLE FAIR.
It had been my intention to be up and doing early on the following morning, but my slumbers proved so profound, that I did not wake until about eight; on arising, I again found myself the sole occupant of the apartment, my more alert companion having probably risen at a much earlier hour.

Having dressed myself, I descended, and going to the stable, found my horse under the hands of my friend the ostler, who was carefully rubbing him down.

"There a'n't a better horse in the fair," said he to me, "and as you are one of us, and appear to be all right, I'll give you a piece of advice--don't take less than a hundred and fifty for him; if you mind your hits, you may get it, for I have known two hundred given in this fair for one no better, if so good." "Well," said I, "thank you for your advice, which I will take, and, if successful, will give you 'summut' handsome." "Thank you," said the ostler; "and now let me ask whether you are up to all the ways of this here place ?" "I have never been here before," said I, "but I have a pair of tolerably sharp eyes in my head." "That I see you have," said the ostler, "but many a body, with as sharp a pair of eyes as yourn, has lost his horse in this fair, for want of having been here before, therefore," said he, "I'll give you a caution or two." Thereupon the ostler proceeded to give me at least half-a-dozen cautions, only two of which I shall relate to the reader:--the first, not to stop to listen to what any chance customer might have to say; and the last--the one on which he appeared to lay most stress--by no manner of means to permit a Yorkshireman to get up into the saddle, "for," said he, "if you do, it is three to one he rides off with the horse; he can't help it; trust a cat amongst cream, but never trust a Yorkshireman on the saddle of a good horse.

By-the-bye," he continued, "that saddle of yours is not a particularly good one, no more is the bridle.

A shabby saddle and bridle have more than once spoiled the sale of a good horse.