Falls 139 



by getting the reins mixed or by holding on by the curb 

 instead of the snaffle ; but he is an old hand and does not 

 lose his temper. For a few jumps everything goes beauti- 

 fully. Novice feels as if his education were complete, and 

 imagines himself startling a field of experienced horsemen 

 with wonder, if not with envy, by his superior horseman- 

 ship — sure sign that another cropper is in pickle for him. 

 He grows careless. From riding with timidity, he begins 

 now to keep company with recklessness. '* That 's well," 

 says the experienced friend. " One extreme follows another. 

 It 's a natural law." Novice is getting on beautifully. 

 The next header will, in all probability, set him back 

 where he belongs — about half-way between extreme tim- 

 idity and extreme recklessness, at a place designated cau- 

 tious-bold or bold-cautious on the cross-country rider's 

 barometer, which may be marked in some such way as this : 



(i) Timid extreme; (2) fearful; (3) cautious; (4) cau- 

 tious-bold. 



(4) Bold-cautious; (3) careless; (2) heedless; (i) reck- 

 less or ** daredevil " extreme. 



Presently comes Novice on a new horse. This was not 

 wisdom, but he would have it. The animal, as it happens, 

 has always been a bit hot at his fences, and, like most inex- 

 perienced horses, jumps about as high again as is necessary 

 over the first few obstacles. This, Novice is not prepared 

 for, and just manages to scramble back into the saddle from 

 the horse's neck, not without having lost one of his stirrup- 

 irons. Novice catches his breath at the unexpected dis- 



