I04 The Chase 



small quantity of good horses in the fair this 

 time ! " I heard a stout, jockey-looking indi- 

 vidual say, who was staring up the street with 

 his side towards me. *' Halloo, young fellow!" 

 said he, a few moments after I had passed, " whose 

 horse is that ? Stop ! I want to look at him ! " 

 Though confident that he was addressing himself 

 to me, I took no notice, remembering the advice 

 of the ostler, and proceeded up the street. My 

 horse possessed a good walking step ; but walking, 

 as the reader knows, was not his best pace, which 

 was the long trot, at which I could not well exer- 

 cise him in the street, on account of the crowd 

 of men and animals ; however, as he walked along, 

 I could easily perceive that he attracted no slight 

 attention amongst those who, by their jockey dress 

 and general appearance, I imagined to be connois- 

 seurs ; I heard various calls to stop, to none of 

 which I paid the slightest attention. In a few 

 minutes I found myself out of the town, when, 

 turning round for the purpose of returning, I found 

 I had been followed by several of the connoisseur- 

 looking individuals, whom I had observed in the 

 fair. " Now would be the time for a display," 

 thought I ; and looking around me I observed two 

 five-barred gates, one on each side of the road, and 

 fronting each other. Turning my horse's head to 

 one, I pressed my heels to his sides, loosened the 

 reins, and gave an encouraging cry, whereupon the 

 animal cleared the gate in a twinkling. Before he 

 had advanced ten yards in the field to which the 

 gate opened, I had turned him round, and again 

 giving him rein and cry, I caused him to leap back 

 again into the road, and still allowing him head, I 

 made him leap the other gate ; and forthwith 

 turning him round, I caused him to leap once more 



