8 BY MEADOW AND STREAM. 



pocket a document which had to be delivered to the 

 revising barrister the same day at another town ten 

 miles off. He sent me off with it with all speed, and 

 I galloped all the way ; I got to the town hall, and 

 handed it to the venerable old gentleman who, I 

 remember, patted me on the head and said I was 

 the smallest churchwarden he had ever seen. Then 

 instead of going home, as I ought to have done, for 

 it was only seven miles, I galloped back to the other 

 town and caught my father who was just starting on his 

 return journey. My poor pony was in a white foam 

 from head to foot, and I got a severe reprimand for 

 my cruelty to the mare. I thought I deserved praise 

 for my pains, it never occurred to me that my willing 

 pony was a sufferer, and she had still to .carry rne ten 

 miles, but fortunately I was a light weight ; and after 

 a good rub down and bran mash she took me home 

 bravely . 



A SAD TRAGEDY 



was more than once mixed up with the comedy 

 of these boyish days. One of my uncles had taken 

 a fancy to and bought a beautiful bay pony which had 

 only partially been broken to harness, and had then 

 been turned out to grass with a number of young colts. 

 Several of the farm servants had been sent down to 

 the Tors, as the large woodland pasture of about 

 fifty acres was called, to bring the pony home. 



I rode my pony with them ; we managed after 

 much scouting and shouting to drive the unruly herd 

 up into a corner of the field, and then to get a halter 

 over the pony's head, after many bolts. 



