Visitors at Limber 



receiving a high and mighty honour. The horse was saddled 

 for me, and with a merry party of lookers-on standing round, 

 was brought out to the steps near the stables for me to mount. 

 I just managed to get on to the saddle, but before I could 

 annex stirrup or reins, off plunged " Dutch Sam," dragging 

 the man who was holding his head, and who, luckily for me, 

 clung manfully to the reins for some yards. The brute then 

 got him down, and the next thing I saw on finding my stirrup, 

 and getting a slight hold on the reins, was " Dutch Sam " 

 literally pounding the unfortunate man with his fore feet as he 

 lay on the ground. The " Little Man " flew to the rescue, 

 and seizing the reins that had fallen from the groom's grasp, 

 held on to them like grim death, although he too was dragged 

 some distance by the now infuriated horse. 



It was, no doubt, the unaccustomed swish of my habit that 

 had done the mischief, for after this escapade, and " Little 

 Man " had succeeded in pacifying him, " Dutch Sam " soon 

 recovered his temper, and was as quiet as the proverbial lamb. 

 So much so, indeed, that I rode him as hard as he could go to 

 the nearest doctor. 



On examination his unfortunate victim proved to have had 

 seven ribs smashed to pieces, and for days his life was despaired 

 of. I am glad, however, to say that he eventually made a 

 complete recovery, and worked for us many years afterwards. 

 The whole affair had been so sudden and unexpected that 

 when it was over I only realized from Maunsell's livid face 

 what a severe ordeal I had gone through. He was in the 

 stable at the moment it happened, and only rushed out just in 

 time to seize the reins on the other side. By which time the 

 horse had worked off his temper, and now, thoroughly subdued, 

 was trembling in every limb, in the consciousness, no doubt, of 

 what he had done. 



89 



