DESPERATION. 397 



doing this. The harness is now to be fastened, if it 

 has not in the scuffle fallen off. The fellow who is to 

 put on the crupper approaches the horse to do so as 

 he would an enraged tiger ; lifts up his tail at arm's 

 length, then jumps out of the way, as much as to sig- 

 nify that he had a narrow escape with his life. The 

 " terribly violent brute" is, however, harnessed: the 

 fellow leads him on, pretends he has trod on his heel; 

 this is an excuse for an (apparently) necessary 

 snatch at the horse's mouth again, which, with the 

 harness hanging about, produces another bustle, and 

 makes the bruised mouth still more tender. The horse 

 is by these means worked up to a frenzy, and in this 

 state is brought up to the double-break ; but instead 

 of this being done as it ought, he is let, indeed made, 

 to run against the roller-bolt. This, likely enough, 

 induces him to kick at it. The fellows now all shake 

 their heads at him. " I'd jist as soon you driv him as 

 me, Jem," to the breaksman ; who, to show what a fine 

 fellow he is> replies, " if they gived him the Devil he'd 

 drive him : he arn't sure he hasn't got him now." 

 The horse is now shoved against the pole : this in- 

 duces him to fling himself on the outside trace. Here 

 is another fright and bustle : the harness holds him it 

 is true, and the only chance is his hurting himself. 

 The pole-piece is put on so short that if the break- 

 horse attempts to take him off, the collar comes so sud- 

 denly on his withers, that he feels as if he was going to 

 get his neck broke : he of course resists, hangs back, 

 gets a smart stroke of the whip, plunges forward, and 

 now the sore mouth tells; for the moment he feels 

 the bit, he again hangs back, and, not improbably, 

 throws himself down. Seeing the present state of the 

 case, the owner most probably desires his horse may 



