1 84 In Scarlet and Silk 



If some good fairy would come down to 

 earth, and appearing before a young man 

 about to embrace the delightful, if perilous, 

 pursuit of steeplechase riding ; if the fay were 

 to offer him the choice of many gifts for his 

 protection, unhesitatingly would I counsel 

 him to take the gift of coolness. Not that 

 coolness is, in itself, by any means " the 

 whole armour of light," but that without it 

 all other qualities, such as pluck, good judg- 

 ment, seat, and hands, are rendered almost 

 nugatory. The plucky rider without dis- 

 cretion, the man whose seat and hands are 

 undeniable, but who is apt to get in a flurry 

 the moment he finds himself in difficulties, 

 had better " be wise in time," and refrain 

 from trying his luck and perilling his neck 

 by riding between the flags. One can hardly 

 go through the hunting season without see- 

 ing Courage take a man into many a " tight 

 place," and Coolness bring him out of it 

 with credit. 



Another most important part of the equip- 

 ment of a steeplechase rider — one that is 



