36 THE ADVENTURES OF A GENTLEMAN 



possessions in favor of mj caste. I bought two 

 more horses of " gentlemen :" both were of very 

 amusing character and behaviour. One of these 

 " gentle" animals spilt me at mj own door ere I was 

 fairly in the saddle. Expecting anything but a 

 summerset, before I was bond fide mounted, she gave 

 a plunge that made me within five seconds describe a 

 parabolic curve to the ground at her off shoulder ! 

 It was an old trick, but the warranty did not extend 

 to vice ! The other case was that of a mare of noble 

 lineage, bred by an illustrious earl. She carried me 

 fairly enough till we chanced to meet a landau filled 

 with ladies taking their morning drive. I was about 

 to salute them, seeing some acquaintance in the 

 party, and checked her for the purpose. The un- 

 graceful brute threw up her heels, and by way of 

 showing off her rider, as well as her own agility, 

 fairly ran some fifty or a hundred yards exclusively 

 on her fore legs. Her hind ones ascended alter- 

 nately like the stampers in an oil mill ; or, more cor- 

 rectly speaking, her action resembled one of the 

 Harlequin jackanapes that tumble about a fair, con- 

 verting their arms into legs, and walking on their 

 hands, nobody knows how. 



