THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY JUMP 181 



reached the marvellous at times. Coming home from a 

 day with hounds once, he leapt a brook 27 ft. wide, and 

 followed that with a flying jump over a deer-park hurdle 

 8 ft. high, finishing up with a third leap over a drive gate 

 7 ft. in height. 



One of the most extraordinary high leaps ever taken 

 was that by a hack belonging to the late Earl of Wemyss. 

 A groom was riding this horse to the post-office for letters 

 one day, and on the road took up behind him a travelling 

 glazier whom he knew. No sooner, however, had the 

 latter mounted, than the hack, frightened at the rattling of 

 the squares of glass slung on the glazier's back, got beyond 

 control, dashed wildly along the road, and, coming up to a 

 toll-bar 5 ft. 6 in. high, with spikes on the top, the horse — 

 although never known to jump before — cleared it at a stride, 

 without injury to himself, his riders, or any breakage of glass ! 



An old friend and journalistic colleague of mine, whose 

 veracity I have no reason to doubt, in an article contributed 

 to a newspaper of which I was the editor, said : — 



" About sixty years since an Arabian horse, when being 

 led through the streets of Greenock, broke loose from his 

 groom, and, galloping with such headlong speed towards 

 the dry dock there that he was unable to stop himself 

 when he came to the brink, boldly leaped down, and 

 alighted safely on the flagged bottom, 34 ft. below. After 

 trotting about some time in search of an exit, apparently 

 none the worse for the big jump he had involuntarily 

 taken, he espied the narrow, steep steps used by the ship- 

 wrights, and by these soon mounted again to the top, not 

 having even sprained a sinew in either effort. That was a 

 steep jump ! But an equally remarkable long leap was 

 taken by a nag belonging to Mr Cunningham, of Craigend, 

 who, with his owner up, cleared the canal between Glasgow 

 and Paisley, a width of 33 ft, the horse covering in the 

 jump about 2 yards more, or 39 ft. altogether." 



Of course, our American cousins whenever we make a 

 record are bound to " go one better." Consequently, I was 

 not surprised to find the following paragraph in a New 

 York journal : — 



" Mr Meneller, of Dickel's Riding Academy, the other day, 



