24 THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 



Taking advantage of this permission by proxy, as it were, 

 Jack Dashwood, catching the horse by the head, turned him at 

 the low post and rails running between the carriage drive 

 and the meadow. Gathering his hind legs well under him, 

 the chestnut shot himself clear of the timber, and well into 

 the field beyond. Indeed, he would have easily cleared a ten- 

 foot ditch in addition, had there been one on the landing side. 

 His hind leverage was remarkable, and Jack was delighted. 

 He cantered him across the meadow, jumping a brush fence 

 into the field beyond ; then circling round on the homeward 

 track again, he took him steadily at a medium-sized brook 

 within sight of his two friends. At this obstacle the animal 

 acquitted himself equally well, and as Jack pulled him up 

 on the far-side of the rails, the horse lightly blowing the hot 

 breath from his dilated nostrils, the two young men on foot 

 thought him a perfect picture. 



Jack slipped off his back as the groom ran up to his head. 

 Taking Travers Algernon aside, he said — 



" Travers, my son, you must buy him ; you really must. 



He'll carry me you, I mean, beautifully to hounds. I'll 



I should say, you'll show 'em all the way, on a horse like this. 

 He pulls a bit, but " 



" Oh, really ! but I don't like a puller," exclaimed Mr. Binkie. 



"Oh yes, you do," answered Jack with an air of authority 

 that could not be gainsaid, "this sort of puller, you do. He 

 only gets hold of you properly ; not a ramping, tearing beast 

 at all ; his power behind is wonderful ; when he Jumps it feels 

 as if he were going to lift you smack over a town." 



" Oh, but I shouldn't like that at all, you know ! " exclaimed 

 Travers Algernon in alarmed tones. " I " 



