do you not purchase it?” “We low gyptians never buy animals of that description; if we did we could never sell them, and most likely should be had up as horse-stealers.”  “Then why did you say just now, ’It were a fine thing if it were but yours’?” said I.  “We gyptians always say so when we see anything that we admire.  An animal like that is not intended for a little hare like me, but for some grand gentleman like yourself.  I say, brother, do you buy that horse!” “How should I buy the horse, you foolish person?” said I.  “Buy the horse, brother,” said Mr. Petulengro; “if you have not the money I can lend it you, though I be of lower Egypt.”  “You talk nonsense,” said I; “however, I wish you would ask the man the price of it.”  Mr. Petulengro, going up to the jockey, inquired the price of the horse—­the man, looking at him scornfully, made no reply.  “Young man,” said I, going up to the jockey, “do me the favour to tell me the price of that horse, as I suppose it is to sell.”  The jockey, who was a surly-looking man of about fifty, looked at me for a moment, then, after some hesitation, said laconically, “Seventy.”  “Thank you,” said I, and turned away.  “Buy that horse,” said Mr. Petulengro, coming after me; “the dook tells me that in less than three months he will be sold for twice seventy.”  “I will have nothing to do with him,” said I; “besides, Jasper, I don’t like his tail.  Did you observe what a mean scrubby tail he has?” “What a fool you are, brother!” said Mr. Petulengro; “that very tail of his shows his breeding.  No good bred horse ever yet carried a fine tail—­’tis your scrubby-tailed horses that are your out-and-outers.  Did you ever hear of Syntax, brother?  That tail of his puts me in mind of Syntax.  Well, I say nothing more, have your own way—­all I wonder at is, that a horse like him was ever brought to such a fair of dog cattle as this.”

We then made the best of our way to a public-house, where we had some refreshment.  I then proposed returning to the encampment, but Mr. Petulengro declined, and remained drinking with his companions till about six o’clock in the evening, when various jockeys from the fair come in.  After some conversation a jockey proposed a game of cards; and in a little time, Mr. Petulengro and another gypsy sat down to play a game of cards with two of the jockeys.

Though not much acquainted with cards, I soon conceived a suspicion that the jockeys were cheating Mr. Petulengro and his companion; I therefore called Mr. Petulengro aside, and gave him a hint to that effect.  Mr. Petulengro, however, instead of thanking me, told me to mind my own bread and butter, and forthwith returned to his game.  I continued watching the players for some hours.  The gypsies lost considerably, and I saw clearly that the jockeys were cheating them most confoundedly.  I therefore once more called Mr. Petulengro aside, and told him that the jockeys were cheating him, conjuring him to return to the