" MOONLIGHT. 9 



into my stable. He was a high caste dark bay 

 Arab, standing very little under fifteen hands, and 

 had many good points evincing great power and 

 endurance, but his temper had been soured by ill- 

 treatment, and my friend bought him at one-fifth 

 of his value on account of his vicious tendencies. 

 In fact, he had been turned out of a celebrated 

 racing stable because George Smith the jockey 

 had declared him to be dangerous, and would have 

 nothing to do with him, and his character had 

 become so notorious that Fred's intended had for- 

 bidden his ever mounting him again. Not being 

 under petticoat government, I resolved to try his 

 metal at once, and ordered him to be saddled and 

 led to the horse artillery parade-ground, a large 

 sandy plain, where I did not care for his bolting. 

 I followed with Fred in his buggy, and on arrival 

 at the ground had the girths drawn as tightly as 

 possible, not merely to keep the saddle in its place, 

 but to compress the lungs, a plan which T can 

 recommend when riding an unbroken horse, as 

 to a certain extent it prevents rearing and buck- 

 jumping. When I first mounted he began all 



