It is amazing what war will do for commerce, as well as what it does against it! The demand for everything that the judgment of my father had anticipated, was so great, that the contractor told me very frankly the sleighs would not be unloaded in Albany at all, but would be sent on north, on the line of the expected route of the army, so as to anticipate the disappearance of the snow and the breaking up of the roads.
“You shall be paid liberally for your teams, harness and sleighs,” he continued, “though no sum can be named until I see them. These are not times when operations are to be retarded on account of a few joes, more or less, for the King's service must go on. I very well know that Major Littlepage and Col. Follock both understand what they are about, and have sent us the right sort of things. The horses are very likely a little old, but are good for one campaign; better than if younger, perhaps, and were they colts we could get no more than that out of them. These movements in the woods destroy man and beast, and cost mints of money. Ah! There comes your team.”
Sure enough, the sleigh drove round from the tavern, and we all went out to look at the horses, &c. Guert now became an important person. On the subject of horses he was accounted an oracle, and he talked, moved, and acted like one in all respects. The first thing he did was to step up to the animal's head, and to look into the mouth of each in succession. The knowing way in which this was done, the coolness of the interference, and the fine, manly form of the intruder, would have given him at once a certain importance and a connection with what was going on, had not his character for judgment in horse-flesh been well established, far and near, in that quarter of the country.
“Upon my word, wonderfully good mouths!” exclaimed Guert, when through. “You must have your grain ground, Mr. Littlepage, or the teeth never could have stood it so well!”
“What age do you call the animals, Guert?” demanded the contractor.
“That is not so easily told, sir. I admit that they are aged horses; but they may be eight, or nine, or even ten, as for what can be told by their teeth. By the looks of their limbs, I should think they might be nine coming grass.”
“The near-horse is eleven,” I said, “and the off-horse is supposed to be——”
“Poh! poh! Littlepage,” interrupted Guert, making signs to me to be quiet—“you may think the off-horse ten, but I should place him at about nine. His teeth are excellent, and there is not even a wind-gall on his legs. There is a cross of the Flemish in that beast.”
“Well, and what do you say the pair is worth, Master Guert,” demanded the contractor, who seemed to have a certain confidence in his friend's judgment, notwithstanding the recklessness and freedom of his manner. “Twelve half-joes for them both?”
“That will never do, Mr. Contractor,” answered Guert shaking his head. “In times like these, such stout animals, and beasts too in such heart and condition, ought to bring fifteen.”