GLADIATEUR 



had literally split one of his hind legs. Under 

 these circumstances almost any other horse in the 

 string would have been destroyed at once, but, this 

 being the case of a youngster of such extraordinary 

 promise, every effort was made to save him, though 

 the attempt was felt to be the forlornest of 

 forlorn hopes. He was tied up in a box, and for 

 nearly a month seemed to be progressing satis- 

 factorily, but, at the end of that time, he was found 

 lying down with the injured leg in a worse condition 

 than ever, and there was nothing for it but to 

 destroy him. Though a quarter of a century and. 

 more has passed since Hero took that last fatal 

 canter, I believe that his owner still thought of him 

 regretfully, and well he might do when he wound up 

 his reminiscences of him with the remark, " I think 

 he was as good as his father." 



13 



