SHEREY BETWEEN THE HEATS. 369 



close to three minutes; and I have no doubt that when his 

 training is resumed, he will gain, correspondingly to the 

 work he gets. 



PRECEPTOR. As I told you before, I have not looked on 

 the 'allonging process with any favor. There would be an 

 advantage attending it, however, in the case you mention ; 

 as the horse would neither have to drag nor carry weight, 

 I have thought that the excessive bending of the knee of 

 most of the French horses, bred in Canada, has been owing 

 to having acquired the habit by being driven chiefly when 

 snow was on the ground, and should that be the case, we 

 may look for improvement in those deficient, by subjecting 

 them to the same work, or something analogous. 



PUPIL. Dinner is now ready. Walk in, and I will go 

 up stairs after the bottle of sherry, or would you prefer 

 port? 



PRECEPTOR. No, a half pint of sherry is the most 3 

 indulge in at dinner, and, though I suppose your friend 

 means me when he says the old man, I am not old enough 

 to prefer the heavy, heady port to the more agreeable, 

 nutty-flavored wine. Sherry is the only alcoholic or vinous 

 stimulant that I ever give to a horse between the heats in 

 a race, and I always prefer to get along, if possible, with- 

 out even that. When it is given, it should be some ten 

 minutes before the start for the heat. I have seen men 

 pour it down just as the horse was starting, which could 

 do no good, as the energy it gives does not arise tih 1 the 

 absorbents have time to take it into the system. 



PUPIL. Do not be offended at my friend calling you the 

 old man. The term is often used in the West as a familiar 

 manner of addressing a person that is much 'thought of, 

 and, my life on it, should you go to Chicago and 

 introduce yourself to him, you would be treated with as 

 much respect as if you were the President, and in place 

 of considering you as an old man that needed nursing, 



