PUSSY JUMPS OUT. 113 



master, thougli I hold liim to be but a Tea-kettle 

 groom, or his chief source of knowledge has been 

 the livery-yards of London. May I ask/^ said 

 I, " Avas ]Mr. Forester in town when you got 

 accommodated with the celebrated Bricklayer ? '^ 



" Come/^ said my friend, ^^ I may as well out 

 with the truth at once ; I bought the horse and 

 mare by his advice. ^^ 



" And I opine/' said I, '' they belonged to 

 the identical party who also accommodated you 

 with Mr. Forester.'' 



" Well, then, they did ; so now you have all 

 the secret.-" 



" A precious lot you got amongst," said I ; 

 " and this, as you are a very young man, induces 

 me to give you my opinion of steeple-racinp-." 



" It would ill become me to promulgate stric- 

 tures on a business (for that is the proper word) 

 that has become so popular as steeple-racing. 

 Properly arranged, I consider it might be made 

 into a national sport of an advantageous character, 

 as causing extensive circulation of money, en- 

 couraging a breed of good horses, and affording a 

 most exhilarating amusement to thousands, and 

 to be carried out without any exhibition of suf- 

 fering in animals or inhumanity in man, save in 

 the estimation of the over-fastidious, or of such 

 as have no sporting propensities about them. 



" If we are to encourage steeple-chasing as a 

 I 



