THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 57 



Travel's was somewhat silent on the way home. He felt 

 lugubrious about the disappointing behaviour of the new 

 horse, though devoutly thankful he hadn't been killed by him. 

 All the glory of having led the field, too, was dimmed, if 

 not entirely swept away, by the painfully obvious fact that 

 such performance was involuntary on his part, and that his 

 hands had been grasping the saddle instead of the reins. 

 Moreover, like many others whose supply of brains is hardly 

 in proportion to the sum of their worldly possessions, he had 

 a vague feeling that he had been ' done,' without actually 

 knowing how. As soon as the exercise of jogging along had 

 put a little life and warmth into his chilled frame he said 

 to Jack, riding along at his side — 



"I say, you know, if this is a bolter, why, he ain't quiet 

 to ride, is he '? and so I shall return him to this chap, 

 Crocker, you know, and ask for my money back." 



" Do — and I'll bet you tuppence you don't get it ! " 

 responded Jack promptly. 



" Oh, really ! " came in the high falsetto, "but that's not 

 fair, you know, is it ? " 



And just then, for the first time, it occurred to Mr. Jack 

 Dashwood that things might be made a little awkward for him 

 personally, if Travers Algernon made any fuss, as he, Jack, 

 had bouglit the horse of Crocker, at the suggestion of that 

 astute gentleman, and therefore that he himself was the actual 

 seller (and perhaps the ' sold ') in the transaction. Evidently 

 Crocker had planted him with a determined bolter. If Binkie 

 complained about the horse to Crocker, Crocker would, of 

 course, disclaim any responsibility in the matter, morally or 

 legally, and refer Mr. Binkie to Mr. Jack Dashwood himself. 



