THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 11 



dinary degree in the kangaroo, an animal whose 

 running is a series of prodigious leaps. The cele- 

 brated Eclipse, who never was beaten, was remark- 

 ably low in front, his hind- quarters even rising above 

 his fore ones. As we have mentioned the name of 

 this unrivalled runner, we cannot do less than give 

 some particulars of his history. 



He was bred by the Duke of Cumberland, and 

 sold at his death to Mr. Wildman, a sheep salesman, 

 for seventy-five guineas. Colonel O'Kelly purchased 

 a share of him from Wildman. In the spring of the 

 following year, when the reputation of this wonderful 

 animal was at its height, O'Kelly wished to become 

 sole owner of him, and bought the remaining share 

 for eleven hundred guineas. 



O'Kelly, aware of his horse's powers, backed him 

 freely on his first race in 1769. This excited curio- 

 sity among sporting men ; they thought the colonel 

 must have had some extraordinary reason for betting 

 largely on a horse that no one had ever heard of 

 before, and that had not given any public proof of 

 his powers. Some persons, accordingly, tried to 

 watch one of his trials ; which the owner, no doubt, 

 wished to keep as secret as possible. They were a 

 little too late on the ground ; but they found an old 

 woman, who gave them all the information they 



