JOCKO THE TAILLESS. 15 



sure of the troop sergeant, and for this he received a 

 peremptory order to ride Jocko from Lichfield to "War- 

 wick. He would much sooner have walked ; but there 

 was no alternative, and when the parade call was sounded, 

 No. 1 7 9 B troop, might have been seen looking very 

 sulky, mounted on Jocko, whose tail cocked up like a 

 miniature barber's pole. 



The Lichfield girls were delighted with the gay-look- 

 ing scarlet pelisse, slung carelessly over the rider's left 

 shoulder, his smart brass mounted shako, and nodding 

 horsehair plume, and his jingling sword with its bright 

 sabretach ; but oh dear ! oh dear ! " Look at his horse's 

 tail !" they shouted as he trotted old Jocko up to the 

 market place, and took his place in the ranks ; but the 

 girls and boys were soon behind him again, with their 

 half screaming, ringing laughter. " Oh ! look at his 

 tail, look at his tail/' was all the cry, until the officer 

 in command gave the words " Walk ! march !" when 

 the band struck up " The girls we left behind us/' and 

 their screeching " Look at his tail/' too; but the same 

 cry awaited him at every hamlet and village, until the 

 detachment marched into Warwick, where "Oh, la! 

 Oh, la ! look at that horse's tail ! look at his tail !" was 

 the reiterated cry, until Jocko was fairly stabled in his 

 comfortable billet at the George and Dragon. 



Like the tails of most horses, when divested of hair, 

 Jocko's was about seven inches long, in shape like a 

 carrot, but thicker at the end, with not a vestige of hair 

 upon it; and Jocko beiog of a sluggish disposition, he 



