CAPTAIN SHABBYHOUNDE 245 



if you fall near. The vicious horse will often follow up his 

 success by attacking you either with his teeth or his heels, 

 standing with his nasty frightful iron calkings at your nose, 

 considering which eye he shall knock out ; whereas the 

 playful ejector merely seems to have been having a trial of 

 skill how far he could send you, and stands looking at the 

 result, just like a baker playing at bowls. The vicious horse to 

 be sure gives a sort of notice to such few as are capable of 

 taking a hint. There is a certain liberal display of the white 

 of the eye, and a muscular cat-like contraction of the back 

 and loins, all symptomatic of his intentions, but any misgivings 

 arising out of such symptoms are generally allayed by those in 

 the secret declaring that it's " all play " — " the quietest horse 

 in the world when he's mounted " — " child might ride him " — 

 with that most taking of all appeals to a Briton, "not to be 

 frightened," an appeal that drives more men to destruction 

 than even an engineman on a railway. Lambkin, on the 

 contrary, gave no indication of anything of the sort. He 

 would let a stranger walk up to him, handle him, gather up 

 the reins, and even put his foot into the stirrup without 

 wincing ; but as soon as he felt the souce in the saddle, as 

 surely down went the head, up went heels, and away went the 

 intrepid adventurer. And yet, as we said before, Lambkin 

 was not obstinately persevering, if he found he could not 

 unship a chap, he would shut up shop, at all events, confine 

 his endeavours to an occasional hoist ; but a new customer 

 invariably drew forth all his best energies, which he continued 

 to use till one or other gained a decided victory. We 

 need scarcely say, that Shabbyhounde had gained that 

 desirable ascendancy, and though he always found it con- 

 venient to ride Lambkin to cover, and was especially shy of 

 mounting in the inn yard before strangers, yet that was from a 

 desire of keeping the peculiarity snug, and not from any 

 expectation of Lambkin proving " too many for him." 



