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. I tell you what, as you seem a decent kind of a young
chap, I'll lend you a saddle and bridle of my master's, almost bran new;
he won't object I know, as you are a friend of his, only you must not
forget your promise to come down with summut handsome after you have sold
the animal."
After a slight breakfast I mounted the horse, which, decked out in his
borrowed finery, really looked better by a large sum of money than on any
former occasion. Making my way out of the yard of the inn, I was
instantly in the principal street of the town, up and down which an
immense number of horses were being exhibited, some led, and others with
riders. "A wonderful small quantity of good horses in the fair this
time!" I heard a stout jockey-looking individual say, who was staring up
the street with his side towards me. "Halloo, young fellow!" said he, a
few moments after I had passed, "whose horse is that? Stop! I want to
look at him!" Though confident that he was addressing himself to me, I
took no notice, remembering the advice of the ostler, and proceeded up
the street. My horse possessed a good walking step; but walking, as the
reader knows, was not his best pace, which was the long trot, at which I
could not well exercise him in the street, on account of the crowd of men
and animals; however, as he walked along, I could easily perceive that he
attracted no slight attention amongst those who, by their jockey dress
and general appearance, I imagined to be connoisseurs; I heard various
calls to stop, to none of which I paid the slightest attention. In a few
minutes I found myself out of the town, when, turning round for the
purpose of returning, I found I had been followed by several of the
connoisseur-looking individuals, whom I had observed in the fair. "Now
would be the time for a display," thought I; and looking around me I
observed two five-barred gates, one on each side of the road, and
fronting each other. Turning my horse's head to one, I pressed my heels
to his sides, loosened the reins, and gave an encouraging cry, whereupon
the animal cleared the gate in a twinkling. Before he had advanced ten
yards in the field to which the gate opened, I had turned him round, and
again giving him cry and rein, I caused him to leap back again into the
road, and still allowing him head, I made him leap the other gate; and
forthwith turning him round, I caused him to leap once more into the
road, where he stood proudly tossing his head, as much as to say, "What
more?" "A fine horse! a capital horse!" said several of the
connoisseurs. "What do you ask for him?" "Too much for any of you to
pay," said I. "A horse like this is intended for other kind of customers
than any of you." "How do you know that?" said one; the very same person
whom I had heard complaining in the street of the paucity of good horses
in the fair. "Come, let us know what you ask for him?" "A hundred and
fifty pounds!" said I; "neither more nor less." "Do you call that a
great price?" said the man. "Why, I thought you would have asked double
that amount! You do yourself injustice, young man." "Perhaps I do,"
said I, "but that's my affair; I do not choose to take more." "I wish
you would let me get into the saddle," said the man; "the horse knows
you, and therefore shows to more advantage; but I should like to see how
he would move under me, who am a stranger. Will you let me get into the
saddle, young man?" "No," said I, "I will not let you get into the
saddle." "Why not?" said the man. "Lest you should be a Yorkshireman,"
said I, "and should run away with the horse." "Yorkshire?" said the man;
"I am from Suffolk; silly Suffolk--so you need not be afraid of my
running away with the horse." "Oh! if that's the case," said I, "I
should be afraid that the horse would run away with you; so I will by no
means let you mount." "Will you let me look in his mouth?" said the man.
"If you please," said I; "but I tell you, he's apt to bite." "He can
scarcely be a worse bite than his master," said the man, looking into the
horse's mouth; "he's four off. I say, young man, will you warrant this
horse?" "No," said I; "I never warrant horses; the horses that I ride
can always warrant themselves." "I wish you would let me speak a word to
you," said he. "Just come aside. It's a nice horse," said he, in a half
whisper, after I had ridden a few paces aside with him. "It's a nice
horse," said he, placing his hand upon the pommel of the saddle and
looking up in my face, "and I think I can find you a customer. If you
would take a hundred, I think my lord would purchase it, for he has sent
me about the fair to look him up a horse, by which he could hope to make
an honest penny." "Well," said I, "and could he not make an honest penny
and yet give me the price I ask?" "Why," said the go-between, "a hundred
and fifty pounds is as much as the animal is worth, or nearly so; and my
lord, do you see . . ." "I see no reason at all," said I, "why I should
sell the animal for less than he is worth, in order that his lordship may
be benefited by him; so that if his lordship wants to make an honest
penny, he must find some person who would consider the disadvantage of
selling him a horse for less than it is worth, as counterbalanced by the
honour of dealing with a lord, which I should never do; but I can't be
wasting my time here. I am going back to the . . ., where if you, or any
person, are desirous of purchasing the horse, you must come within the
next half-hour, or I shall probably not feel disposed to sell him at
all." "Another word, young man," said the jockey; but without staying to
hear what he had to say, I put the horse to his best trot, and
re-entering the town, and threading my way as well as I could through the
press, I returned to the yard of the inn, where, dismounting, I stood
still, holding the horse by the bridle.
{Horncastle horse fair: scene by the canal. (From a photography by
Carlton & Sons, Horncastle.): p212.jpg}
I had been standing in this manner about five minutes, when I saw the
jockey enter the yard, accompanied by another individual. They advanced
directly towards me. "Here is my lord come to look at the horse, young
man," said the jockey. My lord, as the jockey called him, was a tall
figure, of about five-and-thirty. He had on his head a hat somewhat
rusty, and on his back a surtout of blue rather the worse for wear. His
forehead, if not high, was exceedingly narrow; his eyes were brown, with
a rat-like glare in them; the nose was rather long, and the mouth very
wide; the cheekbones high, and the cheeks, as to hue and consistency,
exhibiting very much the appearance of a withered red apple; there was a
gaunt expression of hunger in the whole countenance. He had scarcely
glanced at the horse, when, drawing in his cheeks, he thrust out his lips
very much after the manner of a baboon when he sees a piece of sugar held
out towards him. "Is this horse yours?" said he, suddenly turning
towards me, with a kind of smirk. "It's my horse," said I; "are you the
person who wishes to make an honest penny by it?" "How?" said he,
drawing up his head with a very consequential look, and speaking with a
very haughty tone; "what do you mean?" We looked at each other full in
the face; after a few moments, the muscles of the mouth of him of the
hungry look began to move violently, the face was puckered into
innumerable wrinkles, and the eyes became half closed. "Well," said I,
"have you ever seen me before? I suppose you are asking yourself that
question." "Excuse me, sir," said he, dropping his lofty look, and
speaking in a very subdued and civil tone, "I have never had the honour
of seeing you before, that is"--said he, slightly glancing at me again,
and again moving the muscles of his mouth, "no, I have never seen you
before," he added, making me a bow, "I have never had that pleasure; my
business with you at present, is to inquire the lowest price you are
willing to take for this horse. My agent here informs me that you ask
one hundred and fifty pounds, which I cannot think of giving--the horse
is a showy horse, but look, my dear sir, he has a defect here, and there
in his near fore leg I observe something which looks very like a
splint--yes, upon my credit," said he, touching the animal, "he has a
splint, or something which will end in one. A hundred and fifty pounds,
sir! what could have induced you ever to ask anything like that for this
animal? I protest that, in my time, I have frequently bought a better
for . . . Who are you, sir? I am in treaty for this horse," said he to
a man who had come up whilst he was talking, and was now looking into the
horse's mouth. "Who am I?" said the man, still looking into the horse's
mouth; "who am I? his lordship asks me. Ah, I see, close on five," said
he, releasing the horse's jaws, and looking at me. This new-comer was a
thin, wiry-made individual, with wiry curling brown hair; his face was
dark, and wore an arch and somewhat roguish expression; upon one of his
eyes was a kind of speck or beam; he might be about forty, wore a green
jockey coat, and held in his hand a black riding whip, with a knob of
silver wire. As I gazed upon his countenance, it brought powerfully to
my mind the face which, by the light of the candle, I had seen staring
over me on the preceding night, when lying in bed and half asleep. Close
behind him, and seemingly in his company, stood an exceedingly tall
figure, that of a youth seemingly about one-and-twenty, dressed in a
handsome riding dress, and wearing on his head a singular hat, green in
colour, and with a very high peak. "What do you ask for this horse?"
said he of the green coat, winking at me with the eye which had a beam in
it, whilst the other shone and sparkled like Mrs. Colonel W . . .'s
Golconda diamond. "Who are you, sir, I demand once more?" said he of the
hungry look. "Who am I? why, who should I be but Jack Dale, who buys
horses for himself and other folk; I want one at present for this short
young gentleman," said he, motioning with his finger to the gigantic
youth. "Well, sir," said the other, "and what business have you to
interfere between me and any purchase I may be disposed to make?" "Well,
then," said the other, "be quick and purchase the horse, or perhaps I
may." "Do you think I am to be dictated to by a fellow of your
description?" said his lordship; "begone, or . . ." "What do you ask for
this horse?" said the other to me, very coolly. "A hundred and fifty,"
said I. "I shouldn't mind giving it you," said he. "You will do no such
thing," said his lordship, speaking so fast that he almost stuttered.
"Sir," said he to me, "I must give you what you ask; Symmonds, take
possession of the animal for me," said he to the other jockey, who
attended him. "You will please to do no such thing without my consent,"
said I; "I have not sold him." "I have this moment told you that I will
give you the price you demand," said his lordship; "is not that
sufficient?" "No," said I, "there is a proper manner of doing
everything--had you come forward in a manly and gentlemanly manner to
purchase the horse, I should have been happy to sell him to you, but
after all the fault you have found with him, I would not sell him to you
at any price, so send your friend to find up another." "You behave in
this manner, I suppose," said his lordship, "because this fellow has
expressed a willingness to come to your terms. I would advise you to be
cautious how you trust the animal in his hands; I think I have seen him
before, and could tell you . . ." "What can you tell of me?" said the
other, going up to him, "except that I have been a poor dicky-boy, and
that now I am a dealer in horses, and that my father was lagged; that is
all you could tell of me, and that I don't mind telling myself: but there
are two things they can't say of me, they can't say that I am either a
coward, or a screw either, except so far as one who gets his bread by
horses may be expected to be; and they can't say of me that I ever ate up
an ice which a young woman was waiting for, or that I ever backed out of
a fight. Horse!" said he, motioning with his finger tauntingly to the
other; "what do you want with a horse, except to take the bread out of
the mouth of a poor man--to-morrow is not the battle of Waterloo, so that
you don't want to back out of danger, by pretending to have hurt yourself
by falling from the creature's back, my lord of the white feather--come,
none of your fierce looks--I am not afraid of you." In fact, the other
had assumed an expression of the deadliest malice, his teeth were
clenched, his lips quivered, and were quite pale; the rat-like eyes
sparkled, and he made a half spring, _a la_ rat, towards his adversary,
who only laughed. Restraining himself, however, he suddenly turned to
his understrapper, saying, "Symmonds, will you see me thus insulted? go
and trounce this scoundrel; you can, I know." "Symmonds trounce me!"
said the other, going up to the person addressed, and drawing his hand
contemptuously over his face; "why, I beat Symmonds in this very yard in
one round three years ago; didn't I, Symmonds?" said he to the
understrapper, who held down his head, muttering in a surly tone, "I
didn't come here to fight; let every one take his own part." "That's
right, Symmonds," said the other, "especially every one from whom there
is nothing to be got. I would give you half-a-crown for all the trouble
you have had, provided I were not afraid that my Lord Plume there would
get it from you as soon as you leave the yard together. Come, take
yourselves both off; there's nothing to be made here." Indeed, his
lordship seemed to be of the same opinion, for after a further glance at
the horse, a contemptuous look at me, and a scowl at the jockey, he
turned on his heel, muttering something which sounded like fellows, and
stalked out of the yard, followed by Symmonds.
"And now, young man," said the jockey, or whatever he was, turning to me
with an arch leer, "I suppose I may consider myself as the purchaser of
this here animal, for the use and behoof of this young gentleman," making
a sign with his head towards the tall young man by his side. "By no
means," said I; "I am utterly unacquainted with either of you, and before
parting with the horse I must be satisfied as to the respectability of
the purchaser." "Oh! as to that matter," said he, "I have plenty of
vouchers for my respectability about me;" and, thrusting his hand into
his bosom below his waistcoat, he drew out a large bundle of notes.
"These are the kind of things," said he, "which vouch best for a man's
respectability." "Not always," said I; "indeed, sometimes these kind of
things need vouchers for themselves." The man looked at me with a
peculiar look. "Do you mean to say that these notes are not sufficient
notes?" said he, "because if you do I shall take the liberty of thinking
that you are not over civil, and when I thinks a person is not over and
above civil I sometimes takes off my coat; and when my coat is off . . ."
"You sometimes knock people down," I added; "well, whether you knock me
down or not, I beg leave to tell you that I am a stranger in this fair,
and that I shall part with the horse to nobody who has no better
guarantee for his respectability than a roll of bank-notes, which may be
good or not for what I know, who am not a judge of such things." "Oh! if
you are a stranger here," said the man, "as I believe you are, never
having seen you here before except last night, when I think I saw you
above stairs by the glimmer of a candle--I say, if you are a stranger,
you are quite right to be cautious; queer things being done in this fair,
as nobody knows better than myself," he added, with a leer; "but I
suppose if the landlord of the house vouches for me and my notes, you
will have no objection to part with the horse to me?" "None whatever,"
said I, "and in the meantime the horse can return to the stable."
Thereupon I delivered the horse to my friend the ostler. The landlord of
the house, on being questioned by me as to the character and condition of
my new acquaintance, informed me that he was a respectable horse-dealer,
and an intimate friend of his, whereupon the purchase was soon brought to
a satisfactory conclusion.