14^ l!he T^r otter. 



could be immediately converted into a loose box by hanging a gate 

 on between the pillars. 



Old Morgan was at home, and I asked if I could see him. 



"Certainly, sir 5 but you'd better not go in to him," was the 

 reply. 



His box was closed by two half doors, the top one of which we 

 opened. The old horse was standing lazily in the middle of a very 

 roomy box up to his knees in straw, apparently half asleep. 



" The old boy does not get much sleep o' nights, I often don't 

 get him suppered up till three o'clock," observed the man apolo- 

 getically. 



When the door opened, he came sidling up to us, with his ear 

 laid back and a cunning look in his wicked old eye, as if he was 

 half debating whether he should rush at us and seize us with his 

 teetli, or whether he should lash out his powerful hind legs at the 

 door over which we were leaning. But, " Now, old man, none of 

 your nonsense!" and he came quietly up to receive the accustomed 

 carrot, without which the groom never, he said, entered his box. 



He certainly was a wonderful-looking old horse. His dun colour 

 and his hanging ear gave him a peculiar appearance; his shape 

 was unexceptionable j and, although they had been deeply fired all 

 round, his legs now seemed as hard as four oak posts. He had a 

 very clean, blood-like head, well set on, and he carried his flag (to 

 use the dealers' term), in the shape of a long swish tail, gallantly. 

 He stood above sixteen hands, and was altogether a real varmint- 

 looking horse. He had neither clothing nor bandages on him^ 

 nothing but a plain, heavy headstall. He carried no flesh, but 

 appeared to be one compact mass of bone, muscle and sinew. 



'•^Wonderful horse that, sir," observed the man, as we closed the 

 door of the box; "there's nobody can do anything with him but the 

 guvnor and me. You'd never believe what that horse has done, 

 and yet he's as good now as he was at six years old." 



"He can trot a bit, too, can't he?" I carelessly asked. 



"Trot! I believe you — there's nothing in tliis county can touch 

 him. There ^^^as a chap, however, tackled him the other night as 



