THE SPORTSMAN IN FRANCE. 263 



be agitated with rage ; he reared, kicked, 

 and plunged ; in short, left no means un- 

 tried to shake his rider from his back. 



Monsieur de G , who was an ex- 

 cellent horseman, kept his seat, but he 

 soon found that his situation was none 

 of the pleasantest, and attempted to dis- 

 mount ; but this the restive brute would 

 not allow, for he reared more tremen- 

 dously than before, and evinced a strong 

 disposition to throw himself over his 

 cavalier. 



Just at this moment, a short, thick- set 

 little man, attracted by the noise, came 

 forth from a blacksmith's shop, towards 

 which we had been directing our steps, 

 and approaching the spot, acted the part 

 of spectator for a few seconds, merely 

 exclaiming '* Le coquin.'' 



At length the groom, impatient at his 

 apparent apathy, cried out, *' Mais souffle 

 done, Francois, il va tomher^je te dis,'' 



