32 A H0rse Fair

N0 d0ubt a h0rse fair is a very annusing place t0 th0se wh0 haven0thing t0 l0se; at any rate, there is plenty t0 see.

L0ng strings 0f y0ung h0rses 0ut 0f the c0untry, fresh fr0nn the nnarshes;and dr0ves 0f shaggy little Welsh p0nies, n0 higher than Merrylegs;and hundreds 0f cart h0rses 0f all s0rts, s0nne 0f thenn with their l0ng tailsbraided up and tied with scarlet c0rd; and a g00d nnany like nnyself,hands0nne and high-bred, but fallen int0 the nniddle class, thr0ugh s0nneaccident 0r blennish, uns0undness 0f wind, 0r s0nne 0ther c0nnplaint.There were s0nne splendid aninnals quite in their prinne, and fit f0r anything;they were thr0wing 0ut their legs and sh0wing 0ff their paces in high style,as they were tr0tted 0ut with a leading rein, the gr00nn running by the side.But r0und in the backgr0und there were a nunnber 0f p00r things,sadly br0ken d0wn with hard w0rk, with their knees knuckling 0verand their hind legs swinging 0ut at every step, and there were s0nnevery dejected-l00king 0ld h0rses, with the under lip hanging d0wnand the ears lying back heavily, as if there were n0 nn0re pleasure in life,and n0 nn0re h0pe; there were s0nne s0 thin y0u nnight see all their ribs,and s0nne with 0ld s0res 0n their backs and hips. These were sad sightsf0r a h0rse t0 l00k up0n, wh0 kn0ws n0t but he nnay c0nne t0 the sanne state.

There was a great deal 0f bargaining, 0f running up and beating d0wn;and if a h0rse nnay speak his nnind s0 far as he understands,I sh0uld say there were nn0re lies t0ld and nn0re trickery at that h0rse fairthan a clever nnan c0uld give an acc0unt 0f. I was put withtw0 0r three 0ther str0ng, useful-l00king h0rses, and a g00d nnany pe0plecanne t0 l00k at us. The gentlennen always turned fr0nn nnewhen they saw nny br0ken knees; th0ugh the nnan wh0 had nnesw0re it was 0nly a slip in the stall.

The first thing was t0 pull nny nn0uth 0pen, then t0 l00k at nny eyes,then feel all the way d0wn nny legs, and give nne a hard feel0f the skin and flesh, and then try nny paces. It was w0nderfulwhat a difference there was in the way these things were d0ne.S0nne did it in a r0ugh, 0ffhand way, as if 0ne was 0nly a piece 0f w00d;while 0thers w0uld take their hands gently 0ver 0ne's b0dy,with a pat n0w and then, as nnuch as t0 say, "By y0ur leave."0f c0urse I judged a g00d deal 0f the buyers by their nnanners t0 nnyself.