ABOUT BUYING A HORSE. 197 



head, and appearing solemnly surprised at finding himself 

 still in his place uninjured. 



We are going up a hill beautifully ! ! ! It is quite a 

 pleasure to sit behind him ! ! And, as he is the surest- 

 footed beast possible, coming down the hill on the other 

 side will be simply perfect ! ! Bravo ! I am in luck ! ! I 

 wouldn't part with this horse not for a hundred pounds ! ! 

 This is a bargain ! ! 



We are on the summit. 



I say to Cazell, cheerfully, " There's rather a sharpish 

 pitch here " — meaning that the decline is very sudden, and 

 that he musn't be astonished if, with such a magnificent 

 stepper, I take this opportunity of showing him how " he 

 ought to go down-hill." 



Down the " sharpish pitch." 



A rumbling of wheels — the trap slipping forward on to 

 the horse's back — a tremendous whack on the dash-board 

 in front, as if it had been attacked with a sledge-hammer — 

 sudden flash of supposition that this blow must have come 

 from the horse — supposition becomes conviction on the un- 

 expected and awful appearance of the hind-quarters of the 

 animal high up in the air, then of two apparently gigantic 

 hoofs, whose size seems to have been exaggerated by a 

 hundred magnifying-glass power ! ! Bang ! bang ! — dash- 

 board gone — heels higher up than ever — reins anywhere — 

 whip nowhere. I hear my own voice, as if it were some- 

 body else's, shouting wildly, " Murgle ! ! get out behind ! ! " 

 liang ! bang ! My knee somehow or other just escapes the 

 enormous hoofs, which are now being flourished furiously 



