THE LIFE OF A HUNTER 49 



am always described as " pedigree un- 

 known." Anyhow, I know that my sire, 

 like my dam, had been a slave, and been 

 run in almost a hundred races and steeple- 

 chases. I have always felt that I owed 

 most of my own qualities of endurance and 

 sound constitution to being the offspring- of 

 parents whose soundness was due to their 

 hard life, as well as to their freedom from 

 hereditary complaints. 



In colour, I v/as a full, rich chestnut, with 

 a white blaze, and was certainly pretty when 

 young. I was not an ideal hunter-made 

 mare, for when I was foaled I stood over 

 at the knees, and always had a tendency 

 to do this : I have heard connoisseurs say 

 that this is a fault on the right side, and 



certainly I had it in common with many 

 4 



