A REFUSER 179 



gave me the engagement, and, having obtained it, my mission 

 was to teath, and not to furnish fresh proofs of my competence. 

 The -Colonel not very loyally replied that the tests enacted 

 by the Grand Duke were nothing to him, and that he wanted 

 to form his own opinion. In my haste I very foolishly offered 

 to make the horse quiet and amenable to discipline in two 

 consecutive hours. The Colonel replied that they could not 

 afford so much time. I then said to him that I did not wish to 

 annoy him or his officers by keeping them looking at what I 

 was doing for a couple of hours, and that I would be glad to 

 take the animal any bye-day which might be convenient. 

 He answered that he would have to consult the General. 

 Next day he told me that he had spoken to the General, who 

 had said that he could not entertain my proposition ; because 

 I might employ some secret method unknown to them ! 

 Although I wanted to work every day for several hours at 

 a time, the General would let me come only twice a week, 

 and then only for an hour. Even each of these hours was 

 reduced to about thirty-five minutes by delay at beginning, 

 and by eagerness to go away on the part of my class. 



Hoping to cover me with confusion, they brought me one 

 afternoon a grey horse which would not jump for any of them. 

 I put the long reins on him, twisted and turned him about, 

 drove him with the long reins over the bar, got up on him, and 

 rode him over the obstacle, which he took kindly and in nice 

 style. Instead of saying, "That's not half bad for an Irish- 

 man," or words to that effect, all the officers turned their 

 backs upon me and walked out, evidently wild because I had 

 succeeded in what they had considered a hopeless task. The 

 next time I came, I asked to be permitted to give the grey 

 animal another lesson, so that I might more or less confirm 

 the good effect of the previous one ; but the Colonel refused 

 my request, on the plea that the horse belonged to an officer, 

 and therefore I could not have him. By this remark, the 



