FALLS FROM HORSES. 223 



Few persons therefore followed the sport long with- 

 out coming to grief by falls. Broken bones resulting 

 from falls from horses, galloping furiously after game- 

 are serious matters out on the plains far from surgical 

 aid, and we have known quite a number of persons 

 who have suffered in this way, more than one of whom 

 could exhibit that curious natural deformity, a false 

 shoulder joint the shoulder having been smashed and 

 there being no means of getting it set, Nature in the 

 end extemporized a species of artificial joint up near 

 the collar bone. The arm in such cases generally 

 remained stiff and greatly impaired in power, but still 

 serviceable for many purposes. We mention these 

 matters because it is as well for people to know the 

 penalty that sometimes attaches itself to these wild 

 gallops across the plain. 



On the other hand it is perfectly astonishing over 

 what rough ground game of all kinds will go, at top 

 speed, without accident. They have however merely 

 their own unencumbered weights to carry; still their 

 activity and sure-footedness are remarkable, as they 

 will rush away in blind panic over rocks and stones, 

 precipitating themselves down steep banks into ravines 

 and watercourses, at break-neck speed, which regarded 

 in cool blood it would seem impossible for them to 

 cross in this way yet they generally come out all 

 right on the other side. The only thing that seems 

 to pound them is soft ground, and the history of the 

 plains is full of examples of whole herds of animals 

 getting " mired " and suffocated in this way. Some- 

 times this may occur from sheer stupidity, but more 

 often we are inclined to believe, something stampedes 

 the herd, and in their headlong rush, in which they 



