190 LORl) GEOKGE AS A LETTER- WRITER. 



walked home dead lame ; and though John says 

 he was three times as lame after running for the 

 Criterion, and that he has frequently seen him 

 quite as lame after sweating, I should have said 

 of him that he was as lame as a tree yesterday 

 morning, and but for John's confidence of bringing 

 him round, I should have looked upon him as reg- 

 ularly done up, and given it up as a bad job. We 

 had him out again in the paddock in the afternoon, 

 and he was better, but still trotted very lame. 

 'John's confidence rests upon the horse's joints and 

 legs being nowhere sore when handled, and to 

 there being no unusual swelling or inflammation 

 about them. I take it the real truth is that, his 

 legs not being able to carry him, he is anything in 

 the world a better horse with 5 stone 5 lb. upon 

 him than with 8 stone 4 lb, ; and above all, I take 

 him to be a stone a better horse against a moun- 

 tain-side like the hill above Swan's pond than he 

 is upon a flat ; and down a hill I daresay he 

 would never gallop — certainly not if the ground 

 was hard. I have not seen John or the horse this 

 morning, but last night John was confident that 

 he should be able to bring Gaper round for Bath : 

 a fine gentle rain which has come this morning 

 will be of great service to him. I have kept him 

 on here to the last moment, on account of the 

 ground being in such good order here and so bad 

 at Bath : besides, the accommodation here is so 

 much better than at Bath. 



