58 THE LIFE OF A HUNTER 



from where he stood, he stepped up and took 

 a peep into my mouth. "Well, what do 

 you think of her, Tom ? " said my master. 

 " What do I think of 'er ? That depends on 

 what yer think you're goin' to make of 'er." 

 "Oh, I am going to hunt the Drag on her. 

 I wanted another, and picked her up cheap." 

 " Ye're goin' to 'unt 'er, are yer; she's more 

 like 'untin' you. You gintlemen thinks you 

 can 'unt hanything — not but what she's a 

 nice mare, but, lor' bless yer, sir, she knows 

 no more about 'unting than my 'at." (To 

 the groom) " Number thirty-five ready for 

 'er ; put 'er in, Fred." 



At the age of twenty, the inexperienced 

 undergraduate, I often observed while at 

 Cambridge, performed feats and treated 

 horses in a manner that makes my now 



