324 HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



In fact, Mytton, if we are to believe all that 

 Nimrod says of him, was in the constant habit of 

 driving his gigs over fences whenever he was resolved 

 upon a short cut to avoid going round ; and although 

 he frequently surmounted the obstacle without injury 

 to horse, cart, or driver, he had an incredible number 

 of accidents. In fact, he was a perfect lunatic, and 

 Nimrod's only object in writing his life must have 

 been to chronicle his marvellous escapes.* When he 

 drove his phaeton up to the door at Halston, instead 

 of letting a groom drive it round to the stables, he 

 would start the horses off by themselves at a gallop, 

 and, strange to say, they conducted the carriage safely 

 into the yard, although they had two rather sharp 

 turns to make and one gate to go through. He was 

 fool enough on one occasion to drive a tandem at a 

 turnpike gate. It happened as follows : 



Having bought a horse of a dealer named Clark, 

 of Meole, in Shropshire, he put him into a gig as 

 leader in a tandem, and took the dealer for a drive. 

 U[ on approaching a turnpike gate, which was closed, 

 he asked the dealer who sat beside him if he thought 

 the new purchase was a good timber-jumper. Upon 

 the dealer expressing a doubt, Mytton said, "Then we 

 will try him ;" and seeing the turnpike gate, he gave 

 the horses their heads, and galloping straight at the 

 gate the leader cleared it in beautiful style, leaving 

 Mytton and the dealer and the wheel-horse fortunately 

 all alive, although on the wrong side ; the gig, 

 out of which the dealer was sent flying, was a good 

 deal knocked about. 



* The elder Aiken illustrated Nimrod's " Life of Mytton," and 

 although M)lton did nothing worthy of biographical notice, Aiken's 

 sket( hes are so remarkably clever and spirited that tliey make the 

 book interesting solely on that account. 



