92 TALES OF A NOMAD. 



A friend explained that his back was cold (on buying 

 a horse be sure you ask if his back is always warm), and 

 therefore he was eccentric. So he was walked up and 

 down for a quarter of an hour. 



A contingent of allies came to my aid. One man 

 held up his off fore-leg ; another shaded his near eye 

 (the mildest of the two) with the palm of his hand ; a 

 third held the off stirrup ; a fourth gave me a leg up. 

 I was hoisted into the saddle, and after being led for a 

 couple of hundred yards he went away all right. 



The horse always commenced with this performance 

 and afterwards went well, until he came to some place 

 where he had once been fed, on which he would refuse 

 to proceed farther unless you got off and led him. 



Sometimes he became resentful of opposition to his 

 will, but would bide his time. 



While you were cantering along immersed in thought 

 or admiring the beauties of nature, he would without the 

 least notice (even so much as by twitching an ear) give 

 a furious buck and send you flying. I christened him 

 Satan. More than once have I meditated the loss I 

 should incur by shooting him. I lent him to a clergy- 

 man. My friend returned him with thanks, saying that 

 he preferred walking. I tried to sell him without avail, 

 and at last gave him away. 



Let me recommend a sportsman to use a double-rein 

 bridle. When you jump off it is necessary to let the 

 rein trail on the ground to ensure your horse standing 

 still while you fire. Pulling the rein over his head takes 

 time, and replacing the rein in its proper position before 

 remounting to pursue the game also causes loss of time. 



On starting to gallop into buck I used to throw the 

 olT curb rein over the horse's head, thus bringing both 



