96 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



would ride him first, thinking that I would only 

 do so on the way to our first beat, and then could 

 easily change him for a more tractable mount 

 when the real business of the day began. 



Now a word to describe my mount. He was a 

 black or very dark-brown Waler, or Australian 

 gelding, standing about fifteen hands three inches, 

 with clean flat legs, muscular quarters, and thighs 

 well let down, a lean, game head, and well set on 

 neck with good sloping shoulders, a trifle slack in 

 his loins, perhaps, but still an animal showing a 

 deal of breeding and power. He was in wretched 

 condition ; every rib showed out clear and 

 distinct, and one might almost have hung one's 

 hat on his great ragged hips. He had on a regular 

 buck-jumping saddle with knee and thigh rolls 

 and surcingle, a great heavy double bit, and a 

 running martingale. Going up to him, I patted 

 and spoke to him, and after a snort or two on his 

 part with ears' pricked forward (not laid back as a 

 really vicious horse would), he let me pick up his 

 feet, feel his girths, and handle him all over. 

 This I thought was a step gained, so I had the 

 martingale removed, and the heavy, severe bit 

 replaced by a plain, double-rimmed, smooth 

 snaffle. Of course I was on the look-out for any 

 tricks on his part, and getting a friend to give me 

 a leg up, was soon in the saddle, and, pressing 



