48 THE LIFE OF A HUNTER 



for. She was a big mare with plenty of 

 bone, and, I believe, if not of the best family, 

 at anyrate well connected, and, so far as 

 I could learn, there was no record in her 

 family history of any of those mesalliances 

 with hairy-heeled families which are such a 

 curse to hunters. My sire was a thorough- 

 bred, with the blood of Sir Hercules and 

 Blair Athol in his veins, but, alas ! I have 

 forgotten his name ; and, indeed, it is a 

 wonder that I know anything of my pedigree 

 at all, for, till I passed into my present 

 owner's hands, I heard so many different 

 accounts of my descent that I was quite 

 bewildered. But I have long seen enough 

 of the world to know that the great pro- 

 portion of the pedigrees given to hunters 

 are fictitious, and quite understand why I 



