said he would fetch him down. "No man," he added, "ought to buy a horse
unless he's saw him." When the horse came down, it struck me that,
whatever his qualities might be, his personal appearance was against
him. One of his fore legs was shaped like the handle of our punch-ladle,
and the remaining three legs, about the fetlock, were slightly bunchy.
Besides, he had no tail to brag of; and his back had a very hollow sweep
from his high haunches to his low shoulder-blades. I was much pleased,
however, with the fondness and pride manifested by his owner, as he held
up, by both sides of the bridle, the rather longish head of his horse,
surmounting a neck shaped like a pea-pod, and said, in a sort of
triumphant voice, "three-quarters blood!" Mrs. Sparrowgrass flushed up a
little when she asked me if I intended to purchase _that_ horse, and
added, that, if I did, she would never want to ride. So I told the man
he would not suit me. He answered by suddenly throwing himself upon his
stomach across the backbone of his horse, and then, by turning round as
on a pivot, got up a-straddle of him; then he gave his horse a kick in
the ribs that caused him to jump out with all his legs, like a frog, and
then off went the spoon-legged animal with a gait that was not a trot,
nor yet precisely pacing. He rode around our grass plot twice, and then
pulled his horse's head up like the cock of a musket. "That," said he,
"is _time_." I replied that he did seem to go pretty fast. "Pretty
fast!" said his owner. "Well, do you know Mr. ----?" mentioning one of
the richest men in our village. I replied that I was acquainted with
him. "Well," said he, "you know his horse?" I replied that I had no
personal acquaintance with him. "Well," said he, "he's the fastest horse
in the county--jist so--I'm willin' to admit it. But do you know I
offered to put my horse agin' his to trot? I had no money to put up, or
rayther, to spare; but I offered to trot him, horse agin' horse, and the
winner to take both horses, and I tell you--_he wouldn't do it!_"