PREFACE. IX 



spreading, but perfectly fair and safe fence, — one 

 that no man would hesitate at, if he only carried 

 a little "jumping powder" about him as an occa- 

 sional refresher to his nerves, and his horse has 

 any whalebone qualification in his anatomy. 

 Whether chance has occasioned them to take the 

 fence at the same moment, or there is a little 

 " setting " each other in the case, matters not ; if 

 they only give their nags a little " stay " on land- 

 ing, and one little twist to set them going again, 

 they will be all right. They all look like hardish 

 bitten ones ; but I should say the dark brown and 

 his rider " for choice. " 



The other plate shows four animals of a different 

 sort. It might be imagined that a gap made by 

 all the rough work having been already done, 

 might have been held as " practicable ; " but the 

 young gentleman with the stake through his coat- 

 flap is of course of a different opinion. His black 

 animal seems to coincide perfectly in such opinion, 

 and fully carries into practice the judicious maxim 

 of " look before you leap," if leaping he means 

 at all. To such saltatlc contemplation the friend 

 is applying some persuasive argument of rather 

 a cutting nature, but which the black appears to 

 endure most philosophically; he has contrived to 

 get his leg over one bridle rein, — a circumstnnce 

 that in my ignorance I have always guarded 

 against, if compelled to " turn over." Now I 



