"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.
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