Gentlemen Riders 



her head and neck being wedged between some very strong 

 growers. 



This afforded me the welcome opportunity of throwing 

 myself off and trying to calm her excitement. Nevertheless, 

 she kept running round and round, as though half mad, and 

 I was particularly impressed by the evidence of her 

 marvellous lung power ; for, notwithstanding that she had 

 galloped, without preparation, nearer five miles than four, she 

 was scarcely blowing at all ; and I was, naturally, led to the 

 conclusion that, if only she would develop fair precision in 

 fencing, she would be sure to win a good steeplechase — if I 

 could only find one long enough for her. 



But the difficulty that presented itself to my mind was — 

 how I was to train such a veritable madcap, and in what 

 possible way I could ascertain her qualifications as a fencer. 



After much consideration, I determined to send her out, as 

 before, with the pony, for five hours, instead of two hours, 

 daily ; and to wait until the hounds met in an open, and not 

 too strongly fenced country, before again mounting her. 



A very few days elapsed before I fixed on a meet, about 

 twelve miles off; where there was a good farmyard, well 

 littered, and leading into a green lane, hard by the cover to 

 be drawn. I had her led there, by the side of her companion ; 

 and I waited until the fox had gone away. She heard the 

 horn proclaiming the desired event, and, her excitement 

 increasing, I thought that, active as I then was, to make 

 an attempt to vault into the saddle, with no hold of the reins, 

 would be throwing away a chance. 



After several efforts, seconded by three or four farm hands, 

 I was " up" and, it is needless to say, " off" at full speed down 

 the lane with apparently no obstruction — all the gates being 

 open. As bad luck would have it, just as I was quitting the 



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