' Next to the accomplishment of
that--apparently almost impossible feat--comes the dexterity required for
living by horse-dealing.
A little lower down in the scale comes the income derived from the
profession of a 'go-between'--the gentleman who can buy the horse cheaper
than you can. This was Caingey Thornton's trade. He was always lurking
about people's stables talking to grooms and worming out secrets--whose
horse had a cough, whose was a wind-sucker, whose was lame after hunting,
and so on--and had a price current of every horse in the place--knew what
had been given, what the owners asked, and had a pretty good guess what
they would take.
Waffles would have been an invaluable customer to Thornton if the former's
groom, Mr. Figg, had not been rather too hard with his 'reg'lars.' He
insisted on Caingey dividing whatever he got out of his master with him.
This reduced profits considerably; but still, as it was a profession that
did not require any capital to set up with, Thornton could afford to be
liberal, having only to tack on to one end to cut off at the other.
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