The Horse 



269 



in which the leading rider set the course, and 

 aimed to make it include as many desperate, 

 dangerous and cramped leaps as possible. 

 Whoever rode it, keeping forty yards ahead, 

 funking at no fence however stiff, won what- 

 ever stake was up. Wild goose chasing was 

 popular in England and America throughout 

 the eighteenth century. Ireland clung to it 

 even after that date. Rough sport, spiced with 

 danger, it is yet a question if it was more risky 

 than polo, or as much so as the steeplechasing 

 still in high favor. 



Herd horses gossip together like a whole 

 sewing society. Joe and Patsy were sure of 

 that when they saw Whip-Lash standing in 

 the shade, her head close to two or three others, 

 tossing it lightly now and then, mumbling the 

 lips faintly, and making little gurgling noises. 

 Sometimes if strange horses passed on the mill 

 road Whip-Lash neighed a greeting. If the 

 stranger answered, the rest neighed back. But 

 if the stranger neighed first, the reply was apt 

 to be a chorus of whinnies, but they were 

 non-committal, not warm and welcoming, such 

 as greeted Joe when he went to them with the 

 salt basket on his arm. At the sound of either 

 wheels or hoofs, the herd, especially the brood 

 mares, pricked up ears, listening intently for 

 half a minute. Then if nothing developed out 

 of the common they fell again to grazing. But 



