174 SPORTING REMINISCENCES 



A hard riding farmer friend of mine has a keen 

 eye for the defects of other people's horses but 

 none for his own. 



" Is he sound," we'll call him, " Dan ? " 



" Sound as a bell, Major, sound as a bell." 



"What's that on his hock, Dan?" as an ag- 

 gressive curb or spavin catches the eye. 



" A little knock he got out hunting, Meejor, 

 last week, an' we beltin' over the crags." 



" High up to get a knock, Dan," this sweetly 

 and with tact. 



Reproach in the eyes meeting the Major's. 

 " He slid down on his hindmost legs, Meejor. 

 God's thruth is it. Mick here could show ye the 

 place, but if he doesn't match ye, well an' good." 



You go to look at a horse belonging to the same 

 man, one you have not seen out hunting, but have 

 been counselled to look at at home. 



It comes out on three legs. 



" Lame, Dan." 



" I declare there's no luck about that horse. 

 To catch his leg lasht night on a hook in the 

 sthable, so he did. He that was never lame . . . 

 never. Let ye take him a hunt and see now. 

 Haven't ye seen him sound many a day ? " 



True, but when he was warm. This is best not 

 to mention. 



Dan's horses never whistle. They make " quare 

 soorts of nises from their noses," but take his word 

 for it they are not wrong. 



