76 THE POCKET AND THE STUD. 



watched. Boys are as artful as men, and may 

 appear steady and disinclined to mischief; but 

 this one thino; is certain — nothinor but absolute 

 dread, and constant watching into the bargain, 

 will keep them from it. Be as kind to them as 

 you please, and always reward good behaviour in 

 them, — but keep alive the idea that punishment, 

 more terrible than any man with common hu- 

 manity would attempt to inflict, would be certain 

 to follow any tricks played with horses. A per- 

 son not versed in the arrangement and discipline 

 of a racing stable would be quite astonished on 

 seeing small boys go about race-horses as perfectly 

 fearlessly as they do, and might see one of them 

 pass safely under the belly of a horse that would 

 at once savage a stranger, or, perhaps, even the 

 trainer, if he could get at him : this, at first 

 sight, speaks in the boy's favour, as indicating 

 kindness to the horse, and therefore trustworthi- 

 ness on the part of the urchin ; in nine cases in 

 ten, however. Jack merits little of such favourable 

 opinion, for never being with the horse but in the 

 presence of the trainer, or head lad, he dare not 

 but be kind, or, at least, quiet with his horse, and 

 as he feeds and waters him, the horse, in return, 

 does him no harm ; trust half a dozen boys with 

 as many horses, without being well watched, in 

 one week half the horses would be made vicious, 

 and, probably, half the boys killed. I have said 



