i 



CHASING AND RACING 61 



for me that day. When I took Daisy back to White, I 

 inquired as to why she had been so acrobatic. 



" Well," said the genial dealer, " you see, sir, she's 

 a bit new to the country, she only came down from 

 Tattersall's day before yesterday." 



" But you didn't tell me that ? " 



" Well, no sir, she was the only nag I had free, and 

 I didn't want to disappoint you. Besides, you being, 

 so to speak, a bit of a horseman, I thought you would 

 fall light." 



" Oh, thank you very much and so forth I " 



Next time out I had a good hunter mare provided 

 for me. 



" She pulls a bit, Captain Cox, but you won't mind 

 that," said the head lad. 



" Oh, won't I, but I do! I simply loathe pullers ; 

 but as it's Norah or nothing I suppose I must have a 

 dart." 



And she did start pulling, but I was able to keep 

 her enthusiasm within reasonable bounds, so that, by the 

 end of the day she was quite handy. I had the privi- 

 lege of following a farmer who knew every inch of the 

 moor, and though I never caught sight of hounds until 

 the kill, I had the doubtful pleasure of seeing the stag 

 roped out of the river Barle and slaughtered. 



My third and last day found Norah booked for no 

 less a personage than my friend and brother " rider " 

 Roddy Owen, prince of horsemen and best of good 

 fellows. But this time the dealer had a real nice blood 



