VALOUR. '119 



protesting subsequently against such hardihood, "you 

 were risking your life at every stroke. " 



" I never thought of that," was the answer, " till I 

 got safe over, and it was no use bothering about it 

 then." 



Lord Cardigan however, seemed well aware of his 

 danger, and, in my own recollection, had two very narrow 

 escapes from drowning in these uncalled-for exploits. 



The gallant old cavalry officer's death was in keeping 

 with his whole career. At threescore years and ten he 

 insisted on mounting a dangerous animal that he would 

 not have permitted any friend to ride. What happened 

 is still a mystery. The horse came home without him, 

 and he never spoke again, though he lived till the 

 following day. 



But these are sad reflections for so cheerful a subject 

 as daring in the saddle. Red is our colour, not black, 

 and, happily, in the sport we love, there are few casual- 

 ties calling forth more valour than is required to 

 sustain a bloody nose, a broken collar-bone, or a sound 

 ducking in a wet ditch. Yet it is extraordinary how 

 many good fellows riding good horses find themselves 

 defeated in a gallop after hounds, from indecision and 

 uncertainty, rather than want of courage, when the emer- 

 gency actually arises. Though the danger, according 



