NANCY 115 



red head came round the snow-clad corner of the 

 hill, and seemed to belong at once to the little bunch 

 of Britishers who own a very green field in my 

 memory. 



Later in the day I told her owner that I liked 

 his chestnut filly better than anything I had seen in 

 Canada. 



" So do I — nearly, ^"^ he answered. " How old do 

 you suppose she is ? " 



I guessed her four off. 



" Wrong," he said, " she's rising ten. But she is 

 the very gamest, smartest little mare I have come 

 across in all the years I have been in this country. 

 I should have to be very hard up indeed to part 

 vdth Nancy." 



In the afternoon I made love to her in the stables ; 

 but apart from being excellently well-mannered 

 Nancy is not demonstrative to strangers. She 

 adored her master, and suffered the adoration of 

 others. Her owner's pleasure in my admiration 

 was complete. 



" You must ride her, you really must," he 

 suggested. " The Millingtons have asked me for 

 next week-end. I'll bring her along and we will 

 go for a ride on the hills in the afternoon." 



I hadn't ridden anything but Charles Edward and 

 my neighbour's bay mare Mabel since I left 

 England. Mabel had a fine stride, and after 

 Charles Edward seemed everything that a hack 

 should seem. But in those days to be carried by 

 Nancy was to ride on the wing of a bird. Her 

 mouth, movement, manners, were in perfect poise, 

 and as inspiring as a breath of mountain air. We 

 cantered lightly along the lake-side trail until we 



