242 RIDING RECOLLECTIONS. 



" Over the brook for a hundred ! and the King never 

 turned from water in his life. " 



Two more fences bring him to the level meadow with 

 its willows. Harmony is shaking herself on the farther 

 bank, and he has marked with his eye the spot where 

 he means to take off. A strong' pull, a steady hand, 

 the energy of a mile gallop condensed into a dozen 

 strides, and the stream passes beneath him like a flash. 

 " It's a rum one ! " he murmurs, standing up in his 

 stirrups to ease the good horse, while one follower ex- 

 claims " Bravo ! Rapid. Go along, old man ! " as the 

 speaker plunges overhead ; and another, who lands with 



a scramble, mutters, " D n him, I shall never catch 



him ! my horse is done to a turn now. " 



" The King," his owner thinks, is well worth the 350 

 that has not been paid. The horse has caught his 

 second wind, and keeps striding on, strong and full of 

 running, though temperate enough now, and, in such a 

 country as this, a truly delightful mount. 



There is no denying that our friend is a capital horse- 

 man, and bold as need be. " The King of the Golden 

 Mines," with a workman on his back, can hardly be 

 defeated by any obstacle that the power and spring of 

 a quadruped ought to surmount. He has tremendous 

 stride, and no less courage than his master, so fence 



