406 HOESE POKTKAITUKE. 



to a smooth beech not a very heavy draught and started 

 home, leading the horse by the halter. On arriving at the 

 house he was astonished to see nothing of the log or 

 whiffletree ; but the traces were like the " linked sweet- 

 ness long drawn out" he had heard of, as they were 

 barely visible. As it was nearly night and the chores had 

 to be done, he had not time to investigate the cause then ; 

 so he threw the hames over a hitching post, that stood 

 near the woodyard, to hang for the night. A frost came 

 and checked the rivulets that ran through each ravine, 

 giving promise of being a "good sap day/' when the 

 sugar maples would yield a copious flow. He got up early 

 to go to the " bush," when, upon opening the door, he was 

 surprised to see that the log was there. The frost had 

 dried the leather, and the contraction drew the log from 

 the woods. 



PEECEPTOB. A very good Munchausen, and not a whit 

 more wonderful than some stories that are told about 

 horses. Though Jane's gait is very long and open, I do 

 jtot think it will be advisable to take any means to shorten 

 it, as she does not dwell or point when going fast. I have 

 fieen horses that had a very long stride that could not 

 trot fast, as the time it took them to " gather " more than 

 counterbalanced the advantage of covering a good deal of 

 ground. Horses of this kind often go a great deal faster' 

 by inducing a shorter stride, and more rapid action. 

 When an animal has both, he must be fast ; and though 

 generally not as capable of going as well before heavy 

 weight, or through deep ground, I have known some 

 notable exceptions to this rule, that could do both as well 

 as any short or moderate gaited horse I ever knew. I 

 always fancied that long striders could carry more flesh 

 than if they did not step so far, and always aim to have 

 them feeling as well as a due amount of work will permit. 



