Hunting with Hounds 199 



to struggle through to the end in time to see 

 the death. 



On this occasion I owed my broken arm to 

 the fact that my horse, a solemn animal origi- 

 nally taken out of a buggy, though a very 

 clever fencer, was too coarse to gallop along- 

 side the blooded beasts against which he was 

 pitted. But he was so easy in his gaits, and 

 so quiet, being ridden with only a snaffle, that 

 there was no difficulty in following to the end 

 of the run. I had divers adventures on this 

 horse. Once I tried a pair of so-called "safe- 

 ty" stirrups, which speedily fell out, and 

 I had to ride through the run without any, at 

 the cost of several tumbles. Much the best 

 hunter I ever owned was a sorrel horse named 

 Sagamore. He was from Geneseo, was fast, 

 a remarkably good jumper, of great endur- 

 ance, as quick on his feet as a cat, and with 

 a dauntless heart. He never gave me a fall, 

 and generally enabled me to see all the run. 



It would be very unfair to think the sport 

 especially dangerous on account of the occa- 

 sional accidents that happen. A man who is 

 fond of riding, but who sets a good deal of 

 value, either for the sake of himself, his fam- 

 ily, or his business, upon his neck and limbs, 

 can hunt with much safety if he gets a quiet 



