A BATCH OF CURIOUS MATCHES 31 



to hurt either of them, the road being extremely 

 good going the whole way. The mare was very rest- 

 less during the whole night, and twice broke loose 

 from her picket, though not until having eaten her 

 supper with a hearty goodwill; while the horse, 

 though perfectly quiet and comfortable, refused his 

 food altogether. On the morning of the 15th, a little 

 before sunrise, 4.30 a.m., we started for the real 

 hunt. The mare was very fidgety, and took con- 

 siderably more out of herself in consequence than if 

 she had taken it quietly during the five and a half 

 hours of walking before finding a gazelle. The 

 hawks were flown and the dogs slipped at this point, 

 and, after a run of about two miles and a half, the 

 gazelle was taken ; the two horses both were appa- 

 rently as fresh now as when we started. We now 

 started off on our way to join the tents, which had 

 been ordered to meet us at a certain point. We 

 proceeded at a slow canter — so slow that the English 

 mare simply trotted over the hard ground, cantering 

 merely through the heavy sand. Unfortunately for 

 the mare's chance, we missed the way, and instead 

 of going towards the camp went off in the opposite 

 direction. After proceeding at this pace for an hour 

 and a half, the mare, who was going within herself, 

 with the bit between her teeth, suddenly sto]3ped, as 

 if shot. The rider immediately dismounted, and 

 endeavoured to keep her on her legs, but, reeling 

 about as if tips}^, she went a few paces forward 



