86 THE MERRY GEE-GEE 



bumping manfully. With a mother's pride, 

 she looked around to admire her boy. 

 Horror of horrors ! he had bumped the 

 seat of his knickerbockers clean away, 

 and It was nature's garb that clothed 

 him behind. The mater quickly pursued 

 her way, and disowned him instanter. He 

 was her Frank no longer In that uniform. 



I hate squibbing ponies for boys to 

 ride hunting on ; give me an old hunter 

 that won't put a foot wrong, so long as 

 the child can hold him. 



When Frank was nine, he went 

 absolutely straight to hounds on a 

 sixteen-hand horse. His mount had a 

 light mouth, and he rode him In a pretty 

 severe crank-snaffle, as, of course, he had 

 not much strength. I used to make 

 him take hold of his saddle behind 

 with first one hand and then the other 

 as the fences came ; that answered the 



