“We have business connected with our trade in cloth in Sweden, where we hope to obtain a large contract.  The matter may occupy us a week, or a month or two for aught we know, and we do not want our horses to be eating their heads off, here, while we are away.  Besides, we may be able, on our return, to take a passage to one of the Devonshire ports, which would suit us much better.  But we should not be able to do so, if there were need for returning here for our horses.  Therefore, we would fain dispose of them, and, if you can find us a purchaser by tomorrow night, we will pay you a fair commission on the money we receive.”

“I doubt not that I can do that readily enough,” the landlord said.  “Three of them are fine animals, fit for any gentleman’s riding.  The other is a stout hackney.  Trust me, I will get the best price I can for them.”

The next day he came up to their room.

“I have had a good offer for the horses,” he said.  “Two gentlemen, who arrived yesterday from France, and are staying at the inn of a friend of mine, are requiring horses for themselves and their servants, and I have promised my friend a slice of my commission, if he will bring them round hither.  Will you name your price for them?”

“No, I would rather not,” Mr. Jervoise said cautiously.  “If we asked too high a figure, we might frighten the purchasers away.  If we should ask too little, we should be the losers.  I daresay they have named, to your friend, the price they are willing to give.  You had better ask from them a good bit above that, then you can come down little by little, and maybe, seeing the horses are really good ones, they may advance a bit.  I am not used to a horse deal, and will leave it to you to make the bargain.  We are sorry to part with the animals, but they might die on the voyage, or get so injured as to be worthless; and, moreover, we shall have no use for them there.  Therefore, as we must sell, we are ready to take the best terms we can get.”

When they returned to the inn, after an absence of two hours, they found that the landlord had sold the horses, for a sum nearly approaching their value, the gentlemen being as anxious to purchase them as they were to sell.  The next day, they bought three or four rolls of west country cloth, and a supply of clothes suitable to their condition, together with trunks for their carriage.  All these were sent down to the ship, in the course of the afternoon, and they themselves embarked late in the evening, as she was to set sail at daybreak.

The lads, accustomed to spacious and airy rooms, were quite taken aback at the small and stuffy cabin allotted to their joint use, and slept but badly, for the loading of the ship continued by torchlight, until within an hour of the time of their departure.  After tossing about for some hours in their narrow beds, they were glad to go on deck, and to plunge their heads into a pail of water, and were then, after combing their long hair, able to take an interest in what was passing round them.