"SELLING A HORSE."

Waipa Post, Volume XXI, Issue 1210, 25 February 1922, Page 7

"SELLING A HORSE."

AND CATCHING THE INNOCENT. Three gentlemen of leisure at present in Wellington are making ends meet by picking up the unwary and introducing them to the time-hon-oured pastime of " celling a horse" (says the Evening Post) Normally, the pastime is not expensive, but, as arranged by the gentlemen of leisure it becomes extremely so. A typical instance of the system may serve as a warning to the public. A seaman walking along a citj street three weeks ago was accosted by a stranger who wished to know the way to Courtenay place. Having larned this, he suggested that a drink might be -acceptable. In this case it was, so the seaman and the stranger went to the nearest hotel Just when the drink was nearly consumed the stranger met two old

friends—very old fr.'ends apparently, for they discussed " Lil's marriage" and " Herbert's accident," and several other intimate affairs. Then the stranger invited his two friends to join the seaman and himself in their drink. A little friendly rivalry as to who should pay for the extra drinks followed, and a solution was found iwhen one of the strangers suggested deciding the matter by "putting five bob in and selling a horse," only to sell the horse successfully it was necessary that three wins out of five should be secured. The seaman won the first round and the other three strangers, in accordance with custom, put in another five shillings each for the next round. This the seaman won, and the pool wasi again swelled by the strangers putting in another five shillings each. The seaman's chances looked rosy with two of the neceslsary three wins to his credit.

The luck turned at just this interesting point. One of the strangers won the third pool, and, remarking that he didn't mind testing his luck, called on his two frienda and the seaman to fill the fourth pool with £2 each. The seaman, with the surface odds all in his favour, obliged, but the pool went again to the same stranger. The latter suggested making it worth while by putting in £4, and the seaman, with one more win to secure a pool of £2O, fell to the bait. The lucky stranger won for the third time in Succession and scooped the pool. Of course he paid for the next drink, but that only absorbed 2s of the £6 5s put into the pool by the seaman.

The case quoted is not an isolated one. The seaman realised that he had been done, and confided his. trouble to a friend. The latter a day or two ago was accosted by a stranger who wished to know where the Y.M.C.A. was to be found, and then the whole process followed over again In this case, however, the horse was not sold. The seaman's friend had his drinks at the expense of the [stranger and his pals, but he developed a strong objection to selling horses. The gathering did pot last long for, as one of the strangers remarked, " The weather doesn't sieem too good just now ; think we'll be getting along." They did ; but maybe they are still in town waiting for " the weather to improve."