134 THE POCKET AND THE STUD. 



four horses going over a four-mile galloping stage, 

 which they might be allowed only fifteen minutes 

 to do it in ; but over a twelve or fourteen mile 

 stage the thing is different. Here they want 

 something, in stable phrase, to " stand by them : " 

 their work is slow, but it is a long draw on the 

 animal spirits and powers, and sheer bodily 

 strength and stamina are wanted. Champagne, 

 could they afford to drink it, would be a pleasing 

 and efficacious exhilarator to men in training for 

 a quarter-of-a-mile race ; but the coal-porter (or 

 whatever they call him), with a barge-load of coals 

 to carry into store, wants Barclay and Perkins's 

 strongest double stout to support his continued 

 Herculean labour. To hunters facing, as they 

 formerly did, cold early mornings, and then killing 

 their fox by hunting him down, beans were quite 

 necessary to help them from a dozen to twenty 

 miles home again. But now, when we courteously 

 wait till the sun is near his meridian before we 

 disturb our fox, and then do not give him a chance 

 of getting us twenty miles from home, they are 

 by no means necessary. Such horses as, from 

 delicacy of constitution, are apt to pass off their 

 food quickly, require them; and they are of 

 great benefit, in a general way, to old horses, 

 whose blood flows more languidly than that of 

 young ones, consequently want such a stimulus. 

 Horses on long journeys really require beans; 



