* * * * *
After a slight breakfast I mounted the horse, which, decked out in his
borrowed finery, really looked better by a large sum of money than on any
former occasion. Making my way out of the yard of the inn, I was
instantly in the principal street of the town, up and down which an
immense number of horses were being exhibited, some led, and others with
riders. 'A wonderful small quantity of good horses in the fair this
time!' I heard a stout, jockey-looking individual say, who was staring up
the street with his side towards me. 'Halloo, young fellow!' said he, a
few moments after I had passed, 'whose horse is that? Stop! I want to
look at him!' Though confident that he was addressing himself to me, I
took no notice, remembering the advice of the ostler, and proceeded up
the street. My horse possessed a good walking step; but walking, as the
reader knows, was not his best pace, which was the long trot, at which I
could not well exercise him in the street, on account of the crowd of men
and animals; however, as he walked along, I could easily perceive that he
attracted no slight attention amongst those who, by their jockey dress
and general appearance, I imagined to be connoisseurs; I heard various
calls to stop, to none of which I paid the slightest attention. In a few
minutes I found myself out of the town, when, turning round for the
purpose of returning, I found I had been followed by several of the
connoisseur-looking individuals, whom I had observed in the fair.
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