126 REMINISCENCES OF 



in every way than he was yesterday, so fresh after 

 the frost they could scarcely manage him. Last 

 night Thornewell made the horses up, as usual, 

 before they went to their supper, and when they 

 came back from their supper about nine he heard 

 a moaning in ' Rainbow's ' box, and upon entering it 

 he found him cast like a sheep upon his back in the 

 angle of the box and his feet in the air. It took 

 five men to get him up, he was so fast. We gave 

 him some drinks and did all we could to save him, 

 but he swelled to an enormous size and died quite 

 easily about one o'clock. I have no doubt that he 

 must have struggled violently, and ruptured something 

 internally. I have sent him to the kennels, and asked 

 John Pye to see him opened and ascertain what he 

 died of 



" I cannot tell you how fond I was of the old 

 horse ; I think he was the best I ever rode. I feel 

 quite to have lost an old friend. 



" Believe me, 



" Yours truly, 



" H. TOWNSHEND." 



" Rainbow" was an Irish horse, dark brown, 16.2 

 high. He was very strong and bold, with the finest 

 possible temper, and was brought to Edinburgh by 

 Peter Moir. He sold him to Richard Rayner, the 

 Edinburgh riding-master. In 1865 I met him riding 

 down to drill with the yeomanry at Portobello ; I 

 bought him for ^100; he was then five years old. 

 He pulled very hard, but could gallop and jump 



J 



