26 



enough to tame a tiger, it must be confessed. I 

 lost nothing by him, however, and I gained both a 

 specific for a vicious horse, and a wholesome ap- 

 prehension of ^' gentlemen/' But I was not yet 

 cured of my prepossessions in favour of my caste. 

 I bought two more horses of " gentlemen:" both 

 were of very amusing character and behaviour. 

 One of these "gentle" animals spilt me at my own 

 door ere I was fairly in the saddle. Expecting 

 any thing but a summerset, before I was bona fide 

 mounted, she gave a plunge that made me within 

 five seconds describe a parabolic curve to the 

 ground at her off shoulder ! It was an old trick, 

 but the warranty did not extend to vice ! The 

 other case was that of a mare of noble lineage, 

 bred by an illustrious earl. She carried me fairly 

 enough till we chanced to meet a landau filled with 

 ladies taking their morning drive. I was about 

 to salute them, seeing some acquaintance in the 

 party, and checked her for the purpose. The un- 

 graceful brute threw up her heels, and by way of 

 showing off her rider, as well as her own agility, 

 fairly ran some fifty or a hundred yards exclusively 

 on her fore legs. Her hind ones ascended alter- 

 nately like the stampers in an oil mill, or, more 

 correctly speaking, her action resembled one of the 



