BUYING A HORSE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT. (By a Funniman.) CHAPTER I.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1626, 6 July 1877, Page 2

BUYING A HORSE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT. (By a Funniman.)

CHAPTER I.

It is fashionable in our quarter to have equestrian tastes. Boggs owns a horse, and when he gets out of the store, he proudly prances up the main street, the admired of the perambulator- drivers and small boys. Some of the young bloods think Boggs worthy of knighthood, and the summit of their ambition— the consummation of their day-dreams—is to do a moke-prance as Boggs does every evening. Tymkyns resolved to go \n for an animal, and had not much trouble in procuring one. Once a fellow makes the fact known that he is in search of a sample ef horse-flesh, he is inundated with the calls of knowing ones, who have " Just the thing;" "the purtiest nnimile hout;' 1 " an oss has pei'fek has wot you wish;" " quiet has an edgeog ;" and so forth and no on. Tymkyns dropped on to a thoroughbred, as far as he was informed and knew. He would float up the street in a halo of ethereal happiness ; he would bo the envy of all the pedestrians in his route ; ho would just show them how to look benign on board of his Pegasus. T. got his Arabian pet home, and spent some time in mute contemplation of his purchase. While tho man who brought the pretty beast 'home held the halter firmly, Tymkyns folt the steed's hind legs cautiously, murmuring, "fine wither }" and examined tho animal's ears, gontly remarking "neat pasterns." The nine days' wonder in the abode of Tymkyns was the arrival of " my horse," and long dissertations on handicaps, steeplechases, and weight for ago, might have been heard within those walls that night. He went to bed with imaginary boots and spurs on, and dreamt all night of astonishing equestrian feats performed by himself. He got up as soon as old Sol «hone out, procoedod to the stable to view his Arab, nnd, so that he might not frighten the noble boast, gave it a solemn warning of his approach, " Wey, there, now " ; " Steady, boy " ; " Woa" ; and other pleasing remarks of an affectionate nature, in the innocence of his youth considering such ejaculations sufficient to curb the angry spirit of the voriest buckjumper existing. To T.s surprise and delight no move was apparent on the part of his steed, and still keeping up his soothing remarks, he proceeded to enter the apartment which it occupied. A sudden movement on T.s part was responded to by one equally sudden on the part of the quadruped's hind feet ; no evil effect followed, but a fly reclining on T.s left oar had a narrow escape of being brushed off by the sudden movement on the part of the feet. T. retired alarmed, and proceeded to the livery stablos around the corner, to enquire if there were any prognostications of real danger in the sudden movement of his Arabian. After having been informed that " the 'oss was only a hairin' hof 'is 'oofs." T. returned, only half satisfied, to his abode, and re-commenced his warning ejaculations at tho head of tho section. "Gently nag," &0., much to tho astonishment of Frodds, next door, who. looking over tho fence, wondered if Timkyns "had gone off his head." T. approached the stable with extreme caution, and peering in, observed tho horse quietly feeding. Ho repeated, " Woa maie;" '* gently horse 5" 'good boy 5" and a variety of other endearments, which in T. 's. idea would have the effect of soothing his pet. By a considerable amount of circumnavigation, T. managed to get into the stall adjoiniug that which hold his purchase, and cautidusly climbed over the dividing wall, making the sagacious boast tremble violently ; and, as Tymkyns afterwards expressed it, " shrieked like a womanr" His mustang calmed down after nearly crushinar T. to doath against the wall, and dancing violently on his favorite corns for several minutes. Murmuring "Wey Polly," "Gee Up Tom," "Pretty beast," and other sentences of a tranquillizing nature. Tymkyns got round to tho head of tho beast, and proceeded to put the head-stall and bridle on, which he succeeded in doing, very carefully inside out. After ft deal of ejaculating on the part of Tymkyns, and, as T. says, attempts on the part of tho horso to bite him, he got the saddle on (girths nicely twisted), and led his steed captive into the opon section. What afterwards befel him I reserve for another chapter.