CHAPTER III 



A MORNING'S EXERCISE 



" Then on the sunny bank they roll and stretch 

 Their dripping limbs, or else in wanton rings 

 Coursing around, pursuers and ptir sued ; 

 The merry multitudes disporting play. '^ 



— SOMERVILE. 



THE grey mare was turning out fairly well, 

 but she had much to learn. She was being 

 schooled to stand the whip, and was also being 

 regularly ridden on the moor to train her to avoid 

 putting her feet in sheep drains, of which she knew 

 nothing when she first came. She had one very 

 bad fault, which was to run back directly she felt 

 the toe in the stirrup. Billy was very patient with 

 her, and gentled her up to a certain point, and if 

 this failed he adopted a stronger method. His 

 endearing epithets were numerous. He would begin 

 by '' Gently then, my little lady ; " " Gently now, my 

 bonnie sweetheart ; " *' Woe ho, my pet beauty, woe 

 ho." Then, as the mare moved backwards, he 

 would tap her behind the fore-legs and say, '' Stand 

 still, will you ; " '* Stand still, you wild wench ; " '' Stand 

 still, you lanky jade ; " " Stand still, you long-legged 

 besom." Being a man of resource, he tied up a fore- 

 foot, and used to spend hours swinging his own long 

 leg up and down, and practising mounting from the 



off side, at which he soon became an adept. Lastly, 



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