But, as a matter of fact, people will misunderstand anything; for on the
day the advertisement appeared quite a number of men called at "The
Gables," all leading horses of every size and colour. Kink was kept busy in
getting rid of them, but one man succeeded in finding Robert unattended,
and did all he could to persuade him that a pair of small skew-bald ponies
such as he had brought with him would be far more useful in a caravan than
one large cart-horse.

"Run in and tell your father that, old sport," said he. "Tell him I've got
a pair of skews here as will do him credit, and he shall have the two for
twenty pounds."

"No, no," said Robert; "they're no use at all. We advertised for one large,
strong white horse."

Mr. Crawley was coming away from the house at this moment, and the man
tackled him.

"Have the pair, mister," said the man. "They're wonderful together--draw a
pantechnicon. There's lots of white on them, too. Your little boy here has
taken such a fancy to them," he added. "Eighteen pound for the two."

Another man, who brought a black horse and said that white horses always
had a defect somewhere, fastened on Miss Bingham.

"This is what you want, mum," he said. "Honest black. Never trust a white
horse," he said. "Black's the colour. Look at this mare here--she's a
beauty. Strong as an elephant and docile as a tortoise. Fifteen quid, mum,
and a bargain."