Broken Legs. 279 



took the right course. Long before the end of the 

 journey, Dwarroon began to roll about from distress, 

 though jumping as cleverly as ever, and soon subsided 

 into a slow canter, leaving Pistol to come in first by a 

 long way. About ten minues after, Stratford arrived at 

 the winning-post, claimed and obtained the race. Want 

 of condition was alleged to be the cause of the once 

 mighty Dwarroon's poor display. The fickle goddess, 

 who seldom forgives the mortal that has once slighted 

 her favours, dealt the 13th Hussar man a crushing blow; 

 for, in the Steeplechase Handicap Pistol jumped slovenly, 

 on account of Mr. MacDougall keeping alongside his 

 two very moderate opponents in order to make a race of 

 it, caught his hind-leg in the fence, and broke the limb a 

 little above the hock. As it was a compound fracture, he 

 had to be destro)-ed. It not unfrequcnth- happens that 

 this bone (the tibia), which lies between the hock and 

 the stifle, gets fractured, without displacement, from 

 kicks or other blows, and unites again without any 

 bad consequences except temporary lameness, as the 

 covering membrane (the pcriostcjini) of this bone is 

 extremely thick and strong, and often keeps the broken 

 ends in apposition without any other aid. Many 

 authenticated cases arc on record of horses breaking 



