184 PBECEPT AND PRACTICE. 



horse, but very necessary provisoes, which are — if I 

 could keep my horse under one of Chubb's locks, 

 and IF I could keep the rider in a similar safe situ- 

 ation, unless he was a man — of which it would be 

 invidious to say there are not some — on whom I 

 could depend." 



"But," said Pupil, laughing, "you might be beat 

 after all ; for we know that Chubb's locks have been 

 picked." 



" They have ; but, to carry on the metaphor of 

 keeping horse and jockey thus incased, Chubb's 

 locks are detectors ; and, on finding they had been 

 tried, I should be quite awake to the game that had 

 been going on. I am now alluding to steeple-chases 

 at recognised steeple-chase meetings, not of steeple- 

 chases at a time when, for a very brief period, they 

 were chiefly the pursuit of gentlemen who liked a 

 little excitement of this sort." 



"Do you consider horses suffer a great deal in 

 going a steeple-race ?" 



" Not so much as many persons imagine. We can 

 call forth no great exertions from either horse or 



