My First Steeple-chaser, 73 



county cups, hurdle-races, and it may be even a heavy steeple-chase, 

 loom in the future — if his screw can only be once got right. I 

 really do not know, as such a man hustles his screw up to the three 

 or four first fences (which he is sure to clear gallantly), whether he 

 envies a single man in the field, let him be mounted how he may. 

 The screw can probably beat the most of them, even in his present 

 state, ridden in the reckless manner of a man who only cares to see 

 the first mile ; and there is no saying \\'hat he may do after he is 

 once got right, for the owner of a screw invariably feels confident 

 that this day must come, sooner or later. 



I have but to cast my mind's eye back tlirough the dark vista of 

 years that have fled — choose any good hunting morning in the 

 season, by the side of a well-known covert, and tlie very man and 

 horse I am describing stand revealed. A little apart from the crowd, 

 on the grass by the roadside, a small knot of grooms and sporting, 

 hard-riding young farmers, are gathered round a man and horse, 

 whose prototype was to be met with in my day at ev^ery covert side 

 in the kingdom. A rare-topped, blood-looking nag, a little queer 

 on his pins, whose neat head is set off to advantage by a heavy 

 snaffle-bridle, is standing in the middle of the ring, undergoing the 

 strict scrutiny of the "horsey" crowd by whom he is surrounded. 

 It is certainly hard to detect a flaw in the horse, except upon a very 

 close examination, as he stands there quietly champing his bit, and 

 swishing his long thin tail backwards and forwards, as a warning to 

 the crowd that they had better keep clear of his heels ; and, save 

 that he looks rather more ragged and staring in his coat, we can see 

 but little (as far as good points and breeding go) to choose between 

 this screw (for, good as his looks are, we can tell at the first glance 

 that he is a screw) and that magnificent satin-coated 200-guinea 

 chestnut which has just been walked by in charge of the groom 

 with a cockade in his hat. The rider is apparently well known to 

 all J has a joke for one man, a quiet bit of chafi:'with another, and 

 the knowing wink and careless, but meaning, nod of the head with 

 which he answers the inquiry of a jovial-looking farmer as to "What 

 have you got there now, Tom ?" tell the horse's history plainer than 



