The Best Fourteen-Hander in England. 191 



my motto, sir;" and with a polite wave of his hat, Mr. Cox rode 

 off. I never heard so neat a description of a regular bolter in 

 my life. 



When I turned the little mare into the loose box which the 

 kicker had just vacated, and looked at her meek, dove-like eye, 

 sleek satin coat, and faultless symmetry, I felt quite pleased with 

 my new bargain. If there was such a thing as love at first sight, I 

 certainly experienced that feeling in this instance ; and when the 

 beautiful little creature came sidling up to me to take some oats out 

 of my hand, and nestled her velvet nose against my breast, I in- 

 wardly thought of the " dear consumptive young lady" whose pet 

 she had so lately been, and vowed that Joe's solemn promise should 

 never be jeopardized by any treatment her little favourite would 

 receive at my hands. The mare had not been in the stable an hour 

 before I put her under the standard, and found, to my delight, that 

 she was the very height for Hollerlon ; and I now began seriously 

 to think of abandoning a project which I had half formed, and of 

 sending her instead to my old friend's stable, to get her fit for the 

 Hollerton Cup. But myfirst projectwas one well worth entertaining ; 

 and when I cantered the mare two or three times round a small 

 paddock close to the stables, sitting lady-fashion on the saddle, with 

 a counterpane tied round my middle and dangling down her side, 

 and found she took not the slightest notice of it, I began to put 

 some confidence in the story of the consumptive young lady, and 

 to fancy that really, for once in his life, Joe might have told the 

 truth on this occasion. I deemed it prudent, however, to stick to 

 the bridle which she had been used to (about as coarse and sharp a 

 looking curb as ever I had seen) and a strong martingale, and though, 

 as Joe said, she certainly did hang rather heavier in hand than I 

 should have fancied a consumptive young lady would have liked, 

 I had not the slightest fault to find with either her going or her 

 paces. My old friend was away at a fair, and would not be home 

 till the Saturday following, so I could not get his opinion on 

 my new purchase j but 1 sent directly over for the vet., and, 

 after a careful examination, he passed her as sound in every 



