14 THE LIFE OP A RACEIIOnSE. 



"svhetlier the unpleasant sensations caused me to entertain the 

 impulse of getting rid of my liglit burthen ; but certain it is, 

 that with a sudden bound, and fling of my heels, I snapped the 

 girth, and sent the " dumb jockey " flying like a stone from a 

 sling. Having accomplished this feat, much to my own satis- 

 faction, I stood quietly, and looked at our head groom in the 

 vain hope of receiving some applause for the achievement. To 

 my surprise, however, he wore a grave and thouglitful air. 



" That's nasty," observed he, shaking the badger- pied cap ; 

 " very nasty ! If you've got that trick in your marrer, I'll be 

 blessed if there won't be soon a lot o' precious necks broke at 

 Newmarket. "We shall have to look round for a supply o' boys 

 — a regular supply o' boys kept a-pui^3ose." 



From the serious expression upon liis face I was not quite 

 certain but that I might meet with a degree of punishment 

 proportionate to what I now discovered to be the offence, and, 

 straining upon the rein with which Kobert held me, I dragged 

 him for some yards in my backward movement. 



His voice, however, assured me that I had nothing to dread 

 at his hands ; and we were soon again upon our usual terms of 

 friendship and good- will. 



" Before giving ye another such lesson," said our head 

 groom, leading me again towards the stable I had just quitted, 

 " before giving ye another such lesson," repeated he slowly, " I'll 

 take a little o' that caper-an-kick out o' ye with a few drachms 

 of aloes, my lad. It's a murrain sight easier to get a knack o' 

 bucking boys and saddles into the middle o' the next fortnight 

 than forgetting how to do it, I know. Besides wliich, boys in 

 time must become ske-arce ; and what should we do then, I'd 

 like to be informed by the earliest post 1 " 



At this moment I saw Sir Digby approaching in the distance, 

 and, Kobert perceiving him also, we stood waiting for his 

 arrival. 



" Anything amiss with the colt 1 " inquired he, with an 

 expression of anxiety upon his pale^ handsome, but deeply-lined 

 features. 



