46 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



postscript, in which she merely said, * Oh ! William, I wish you 

 would give up riding after dinner. 1 * 



" WM. YOEKE MOOKE, Major-Gen. 



" P.S. During the fall I stuck to my horse." 



The details of this astonishing accident are very shortly 

 as follows : 



Colonel Moore, while commanding the troops in Domi- 

 nica, lost his way one evening after sunset. 



As, in utter darkness, he was endeavouring to get 

 home, he came to several little imperceptible objects 

 which he forced his horse to cross. Shortly afterwards 

 the animal stopped at one which he seemed particularly 

 afraid of. 



The soldier, unwilling to halt between two opinions, 

 but, on the contrary, determined to proceed as he thought 

 straight towards his home, at almost full speed rode at 

 the unknown impediment several times in vain, until the 

 animal, surrendering his instinctive fears, and possibly 

 knowledge, to the spurs that were propelling him, with a 

 violent jump into the air cleared the little low hedge, for 

 such it proved to be, bounding that awful precipice which, 

 like a wall, connected the upper story or table-land of 

 the island with the ocean which in solemn darkness 

 reigned beneath it. 



Colonel Moore states that during his passage on horse- 



* The accident occurred before dinner. 



