THE BOM) HOME. 53 



for a glass on my way from Derby market. It was 

 about eight o'clock, and as I neared the house, I could 

 with the greatest difficulty hold my horse with the hal- 

 ter. He increased his pace to a brisk trot, stopping, 

 however, under the oil lamp over the front door. 



" ' Hi, holloa, threepen'orth of gin,' said I, and after 

 exchanging compliments with the landlord (who came 

 out and admired iny horse very much), we were off 

 again ; but whatever had come to the horse I could 

 not hold him at a less pace than a brisk trot ; and when 

 we turned from the main road down the lane leading to 

 my farm, he still further increased his pace, and having 

 no saddle, I rolled off his back into the muddy lane, 

 where he left me, and clattered into the yard at a regu- 

 lar gallop, stopping at the stable-door, and neighing as 

 if the devil was in him. 



" My wife came out with a Ian thorn, and seeing a horse 

 halted without a rider, she became alarmed. Her fears, 

 however, were not of long duration, for I walked into 

 the yard unhurt, although covered with mud ; the horse 

 was admired, bedded down, fed, and left for the night, 

 but I could not rest for thinking about the horse being 

 so impatient as we drew near the farm ; it appeared so 

 very strange to me. Morning came, and at five o'clock I 

 went into the stable, and found the horse all right, and 

 his manger quite clean ; he drank a bucket of water, 

 and ate his feed of split beans aod bruised oats, then 

 commenced to eat his hay : he did his work steady and 

 well, and for nearly a week I was perfectly satisfied^ 

 when my son said his heels were turning grey. 



