204 UNASKED ADVICE. 



trumpeter in a field day. Hinc Hire lacrymce ! Wiggings 

 from inspector-generalsj and so forth ! This accounts for 

 mucli unsteadiness in the ranks^ as also for the not un- 

 common disappearance of a young horse right ofiFthe field 

 of action, likewise for a troop leader's sensation of mingled 

 rage and terror as some heavy body cannons against the 

 quarters of his charger, and flies ofi" at a tangent over the 

 field, said body being the last remount and his rider, the 

 latter ere he disappears looking back at his deserted 

 place with an air of natural apprehension, tempered with 

 the resignation which attends the British soldier in all 

 difficulties and dangers. 



Man and horse probably return at last, and the circum- 

 stance attracts no great attention. An audible passing 

 allusion to " Johnny Gilpin,^' from the wag of the troop, 

 probably causes the squadron leader to request, with 

 more or less polite energy, that silence be observed in 

 the ranks ; but the same thing will happen again, 

 often, or otherwise, before our young one is really 

 steady. The reason is twofold. First, the horse has 

 never galloped, and so becomes delirious with excitement 

 when he finds himself let go, even to the extent allowed 

 in '^ an advance in line." Secondly, the man has, except 

 on the occasions on which he has been bolted with, never 

 ridden a horse at full speed I So he thinks he is run 

 away with before he really is so ; besides, being wholly 

 innocent of the art of handling a horse at a gallop, he very 

 likely makes him worse instead of better. Never having 

 galloped the horse, all its games at that pace are new to 

 him, and will not all candid horsemen confess to having 

 sometimes experienced that most unpleasant of sensa- 

 tions — ignorance of what one's horse is likely to do next ? 

 It is fair on neither man nor horse to exercise them for 



