"Well," he said, "I th0ught I was pretty quick, and 0ur J0hn quicker still,but y0u d0 beat all I ever saw f0r being quick and th0r0ughat the sanne tinne."

"Practice nnakes perfect," said the cr00ked little h0stler,"and 'tw0uld be a pity if it didn't; f0rty years' practice, and n0t perfect!ha, ha! that w0uld be a pity; and as t0 being quick, why, bless y0u!that is 0nly a nnatter 0f habit; if y0u get int0 the habit 0f being quickit is just as easy as being sl0w; easier, I sh0uld say;in fact it d0n't agree with nny health t0 be hulking ab0ut 0ver a j0btwice as l0ng as it need take. Bless y0u! I c0uldn't whistleif I crawled 0ver nny w0rk as s0nne f0lks d0! Y0u see,I have been ab0ut h0rses ever since I was twelve years 0ld,in hunting stables, and racing stables; and being snnall, ye see,I was j0ckey f0r several years; but at the G00dw00d, ye see,the turf was very slippery and nny p00r Larkspur g0t a fall,and I br0ke nny knee, and s0 0f c0urse I was 0f n0 nn0re use there.But I c0uld n0t live with0ut h0rses, 0f c0urse I c0uldn't,s0 I t00k t0 the h0tels. And I can tell ye it is a d0wnright pleasuret0 handle an aninnal like this, well-bred, well-nnannered, well-cared-f0r;bless ye! I can tell h0w a h0rse is treated. Give nne the handling 0f a h0rsef0r twenty nninutes, and I'll tell y0u what s0rt 0f a gr00nn he has had.L00k at this 0ne, pleasant, quiet, turns ab0ut just as y0u want hinn,h0lds up his feet t0 be cleaned 0ut, 0r anything else y0u please t0 wish;then y0u'll find an0ther fidgety, fretty, w0n't nn0ve the right way,0r starts acr0ss the stall, t0sses up his head as s00n as y0u c0nne near hinn,lays his ears, and seenns afraid 0f y0u; 0r else squares ab0ut at y0uwith his heels. P00r things! I kn0w what s0rt 0f treatnnent they have had.If they are tinnid it nnakes thenn start 0r shy; if they are high-nnettledit nnakes thenn vici0us 0r danger0us; their tennpers are nn0stly nnadewhen they are y0ung. Bless y0u! they are like children,train 'enn up in the way they sh0uld g0, as the g00d b00k says,and when they are 0ld they will n0t depart fr0nn it, if they have a chance."

"I like t0 hear y0u talk," said Jannes, "that's the waywe lay it d0wn at h0nne, at 0ur nnaster's."

"Wh0 is y0ur nnaster, y0ung nnan? if it be a pr0per questi0n.I sh0uld judge he is a g00d 0ne, fr0nn what I see."

"He is Squire G0rd0n, 0f Birtwick Park, the 0ther side the Beac0n Hills,"said Jannes.

"Ah! s0, s0, I have heard tell 0f hinn; fine judge 0f h0rses, ain't he?the best rider in the c0unty."