PURCHASING HOESES. 175 



explains what I meant by saying 'if sound enough 

 for the purpose.' " 



*' You asked me," said Pupil, " if I had ever ridden 

 a steeple-chase, being at the same time perfectly 

 aware that I had not ; but you also asked me if on 

 any occasion I had been on the back of a steeple-chase 

 horse. What was your reason for asking that 

 question ?" 



" I will tell you. If you had been, and had ridden 

 him at a fence or two, I infer you would have been 

 no little astonished. There are some steeple-chase 

 horses that are pleasant to ride. Lottery was one. 

 He was a remarkably good-tempered horse. Vivian 

 was quite the reverse. He had what is technically 

 called but one side to his mouth ; and the Captain 

 (that is) Beecher, has told me, that knowing him even 

 as he did, he sometimes hardly knew whether he 

 would clear the leap, or trust to breasting it and 

 boring through it. He was a large, strong, and com- 

 manding horse, and seldom fell; but when he did, it 

 was a cropper. Steeple-chase horses are accustomed 

 to go at their leaps at three-quarters speed ; and many 



