HORSES. 267 



himself off his legs was he frightened. Fortunately 

 alarm made him tractable, and I easily turned his head 

 and landed in safety. Wishing, however, to punish 

 him, I galloped him home four miles through loose 

 sand, which was over his fetlocks. Far, however, from 

 being subdued, when I had dismounted, and went to 

 pat his cheek, he tried to bite me. 



The beauty and excellence of English horses, taken 

 as a whole, have been acknowledged to surpass those 

 of the rest of the world ; their speed, their enormous 

 leaps, their long journeys, their strength, have been 

 frequent themes of admiration ; and I regret that I 

 cannot fill more pages with the histories that are re- 

 corded of them. But there are many excellent books 

 on that subject alone, which may be read with great 

 advantage; and I pass on to a very clever hunter 

 called Nannie, who belonged to my father, and who 

 performed a feat thought in my childhood to be unique, 

 but which I have of late seen mentioned in the papers 

 as accomplished by other horses. In those days gentle- 

 men seldom retired from the dinner-table without being 

 at least elated ; and on an occasion of this sort, my 

 father, by way of summing up his favourite's wonderful 

 abilities, said ' he was sure she would at his bidding 

 jump over the supper-table,' which was then set out for 

 about twenty persons. Being an only daughter, I was 

 often allowed to exceed the hours at which children 

 are usually sent to bed ; and I was therefore present 

 during the whole scene. Doubts were expressed, bets 

 were laid, the parties became excited ; and Nannie was 

 ordered from her stable, bridled and saddled, as if for 

 her master's riding. She was led into the room ; the 

 gentlemen were all assembled ; the table was glittering 



