38 FACT AGAINST nCTlOX. 



turned liis licacl to look back before I ^Yixs well out 

 of the saddle to recover my loss ; he could only 

 have east an inquiring gaze in that direction on 

 account of the mischance that had occurred. This 

 old horse must have gone pretty well, because a 

 Captain Bull, then resident at Lyndhurst, came up 

 to me after the run, and remarked that '' I must 

 have had that favourite horse some time, we seemed 

 to be so well acquainted ; " and that, if ever to be 

 parted with, he should ^' like the refusal." I replied, 

 that I had never seen him before that day, and 

 referred him to his owner at Christchurch Barracks 

 for particulars as to any sale. We were innnensely 

 amused, for the next day the Captain, in company 

 with the then Master of the Ncav Forest Hounds, 

 came over to Christchurch with a view to purchase, 

 and went into Colonel Paget's stable at the bar- 

 racks. What amused us still more was, that the 

 two would-be purchasers were not a minute in tlie 

 stable, but came bustling out faster than they went 

 in, muttering something of having been deceived. 

 Tlie darling old horse, wlio on the previous day 

 had forgotten all about his legs, save in taking care 

 to put them in tlie right place, in his stall tlic next 

 day was reminded of all liis honoui'able wounds, 



