HUNTERS 139 



as though he had been to the manner born. 

 Those who know the locality will gladly own 

 this was no mean performance for a horse that 

 had all his life been galloping on the smoothest 

 of turf, and he proved an excellent sure-footed 

 hunter with the Calpe Hounds. 



Lackland was a horse of unbounded nerve, as 

 was shown on the day of the inspection of the 

 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade by General Somerset, 

 soon after its arrival at Gibraltar, in November, 

 1874. We were quartered in the Buena Yista 

 Barracks, and when we were drawn up in line 

 for the General Salute the whole of the available 

 space was occupied, there being barely room for 

 me to take my post as adjutant, between the left 

 flank of the regiment and the boundary wall. 

 My horse, too, was almost touching one of the 

 great siege guns, of which two were placed here, 

 overlooking the straits. The boundary wall was 

 very low indeed, and below it the cliff went 

 sheer down to the sea-beach, a very awkward 

 position for any one to be placed in if riding a 

 frightened horse, for the wall was no protection 

 or obstacle to prevent it jumping over to certain 

 death. 



Whilst we were forming the parade, a squad of 

 artillerymen, under a subaltern, came up to the 

 gun where I was standing, and proceeded to go 

 through the motions of loading, and I said in 

 joke, " I hope you are not going to fire the gun ! " 

 " Indeed, we are," was the response. Quite 

 horrified, I pointed out that it was impossible 

 that gun-practice should take place during the 

 General's inspection ; but as the officer was im- 

 pervious to argument, I touched Lackland with 

 the spur, and dashed up to the Colonel, in front 



