32 The Chase 



A Good Horse I >^> ^<c^ ^:> 



" ^ I ^HAT'S a niceish nag you gave Frank this 

 J_ morning," said he to his uncle. " I was 

 looking at him before dinner. He is a Monsoon, 

 isn't he ? " 



" Well, I can't say I know how he was bred," 

 said the squire. " He shows a good deal of 

 breeding." 



" He's a Monsoon, I'm sure," said the Honour- 

 able John. " They all have those ears, and that 

 peculiar dip in the back. I suppose you gave a 

 goodish figure for him ? " 



" Not so very much," said the squire. 



" He's a trained hunter, I suppose ? " 



"If not, he soon will be," said the squire. 



" Let Frank alone for that," said Harry Baker. 



" He jumps beautifully, sir," said Frank. " I 

 haven't tried him myself, but Peter made him go 

 over the bar several times this morning." 



The Honourable John was determined to give 

 his cousin a helping hand, as he considered it. He 

 thought that Frank was very ill-used in being put 

 off with so incomplete a stud, and thinking also 

 that the son had not spirit enough to attack his 

 father himself on the subject, the Honourable John 

 determined to do it for him. 



"He's the making of a very nice horse, I don't 

 doubt. I wish you had a string like him, Frank." 



Frank felt the blood rush to his face. He would 

 not for worlds have his father think that he was 

 discontented, or otherwise than pleased with the 

 present he had received that morning. He was 

 heartily ashamed of himself in that he had listened 

 with a certain degree of complacency to his cousin's 

 tempting ; but he had no idea that the subject 



