A HORSE IN A WELL 287 



'Where to?' I asked. 



But he only replied : 



' I don't know.' 



The search for him was not so difficult as looking for 

 the proverbial pin in a bundle of hay, for I soon saw his 

 head about a foot below the surface of the stable, oscil- 

 lating, like the pendulum of a clock, from one side to the 

 other of a gloomy cavity. The well, for such it was, 

 into which he had fallen had, it appears, been closed and 

 pitched over, like the rest of the stable, some years be- 

 fore, and therefore its presence could not be detected ; 

 but the pitched flooring had given way with the weight 

 of the horse's hind-quarters. His position was erect, 

 his two fore-legs and head and a part of his neck being 

 all that could be seen of him. The news of the accident 

 spread with great rapidity, and we soon had plenty of 

 volunteers very kindly tendering their assistance, every- 

 one knowing the best and safest way of extracting him 

 from his perilous position. Among racing people, the 

 two first to arrive were Captain Hawksley and the lovely 

 ' Nelly,' Mr. G. Angell following soon after. 



I had previously and luckily taken the precaution, to 

 prevent the horse doing himself any mischief, to stuff 

 two sacks with hay, and have them placed at the sides 

 of the well. My own opinion had been from the first 

 that he would have to be dug out. But, at the sugges- 

 tion of a gentleman present, who was positively certain 

 that if a rope were passed beneath his fore-legs not an 

 easy thing to do and swung over the beam in the 

 stables, the horse would come out as easily as drawing a 

 cork from a bottle, for we had plenty of strength, I 

 allowed this to be tried. But what terrible results would 

 have followed if the operation had been persevered in, 

 I cannot say. I had to stop it when it had become a nice 



