VICIOUS HORSES 225 



and driven Nobby in his most troublesome 

 moments. Just as true ghost stories have an 

 explanation, so this anecdote may be at all events 

 partially cleared up. The high-couraged cob re- 

 sented being made to trot, walk, or canter as a 

 strong-willed horseman wished him to ; yet he 

 willingly trotted along with an entirely fresh 

 master, who never attempted to fret him, and 

 who was not afraid to trust him to work honestly. 

 There seems no other conclusion, and to prove 

 that this theory may be correct, I give the fol- 

 lowing tale, which was told to me in Australia. 



At Tattersall's Auction Rooms, Townsville, 

 Northern Queensland, a stock-horse was sold to 

 one of the most timid riders in the Colony, who 

 put a saddle and bridle on his purchase and rode 

 out of the yard, fully believing that he had bought 

 an exceedingly quiet animal, because he had been 

 told by somebody in the repository that his new 

 mount would suit him exactly. The buyer there- 

 upon jumped on the stock-horse, and contentedly 

 rode off. But had he known that the brute in- 

 variably put good riders down, he would have 

 been so unnerved that he would have immedi- 

 ately dismounted. Happily in blissful ignorance 

 he proceeded on his way, and for months after- 

 wards never had his faith shaken ; but in a luck- 

 less moment up country he tumbled on to a pal, 

 who looked hard at his friend's horse, and then 

 exclaimed, " I reckon since we parted company 

 you've considerably improved in riding ! " The 

 nervous man asked for an explanation. " Why, 

 the bay you're on was the worst horse they ever 



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