PARK AND ROAD RIDING. 73 



women to pacify her, and she was still 

 shrieking long after I had mounted the big 

 bay and ridden him back to inform his owner 

 of how charmingly he had behaved. 



I have now told you three anecdotes, partly 

 for your amusement and partly for your in- 

 struction ; but I would not have you think 

 that it would be at all times and under all 

 circumstances a wise thing to ride a runaway 

 horse against so formidable an obstacle as a 

 stone wall. Mine was, I hope, an exceptional 

 case. When the animal was led down to 

 meet me at the station, I saw, not without 

 misgiving, that I was destined to ride in a 

 so-called ^^ safety-stirrup," and at the time 

 when he took head with me my foot was 

 fixed as in a vice in this dangerous and 

 horrible trap, from which I could not succeed 

 in releasing it. FeeHng that my brain was 

 whirHng, and that I could not longer main- 

 tain my seat in the saddle, I rode for an 

 overthrow, which I deemed infinitely better 

 than being dragged by the foot over an 

 intricate country, and most probably having 

 my brains scattered by a pair of crashing 



