A FIXTURE. 39 



We had run perhaps three miles without a check 

 enough to take a horse off his stride. " Well/' 

 thought I^ " neighbour, if in your nag's condition he 

 lasts much longer, I am no prophet/' In a field 

 or two further I saw the chestnut make a flounder 

 on landing over a fence. " Oh ! you're there, are 

 you, at last," thought I. Our Mazeppa on the 

 not wild, but now tame, horse gave him a cram, 

 and sent him along across part of a deep ploughed 

 field. '^Who ho! for a hundred," thought I, 

 " before you reach the next fence." I saw the 

 chestnut stretch his neck out, give a swelling 

 sigh and sob, his stroke shortened, and he stopped, 

 regularly planted. 



On the next hunting day neighbour was there, 

 fresh as a four-year old, and looking as good- 

 humoured as ever. I asked after the chestnut, 

 and really felt much pleasure on learning he had 

 shortly recovered, and was none the worse for his 

 drilling. Neighbour was now on a fine bay, but 

 just in the same condition. His master expressed 

 surprise at his chestnut having come so suddenly 

 to a stand. I perpetrated an execrable pun by 

 telling him, it was because he brought him too 

 suddenly to a fixture ; adding, " It does not re- 

 quire my being a witch, my good Sir, to prognos- 

 ticate that your bay will serve you just the same 

 if you ride him the same, he being in the same 

 condition as your chestnut." 



D 4 



