47 

 RUBY. 



animal's natural qualifications for his work had 

 been developed into such unusual accomplish- 

 ments ; and then he glided into the compliment- 

 ary assertion that no one but the colonel of his 

 regiment could ever have hoped to buy him at 

 any price, — and of course he did not consider it 

 a sale. His original outlay, which he could not 

 afford to lose, had been reimbursed ; but the 

 true value of the horse, his education, he was 

 only too glad to give me. And then, the pleas- 

 ure of seeing his colonel suitably mounted, and 

 the satisfaction of seeing the horse properly rid- 

 den, really threw the obligation on his side. 

 Then, with his inimitable naivete, he not only 

 expressed, but demonstrated, in every look and 

 gesture, more delight in watching our move- 

 ments than he had felt in his own riding. 

 " Praise a horseman for his horsemanship, and 

 he will ride to the Devil." Gluckmansklegge (I 

 did not suspect him of a desire for promotion) 

 pointed to a strong rail-fence near by, -and sug- 

 gested that the combination of man and horse 

 for that sort of thing was unusual. Whether it 



