46 SKETCHES IN THE HUNTING FIELD. 



"You'll see some fun when that young gentleman 

 gets on old Fireworks," Downing confided to his 

 friends. " He's in the bluest funk you ever saw out of 

 a paint-box ; and look at the old horse kicking up 

 behind and before ! " 



The old horse was indeed indulging himself in these 

 and other vagaries, and generally making more of a 

 beast of himself than nature had made already ; but 

 now that it had come to the point, Wynnerly stood by 

 superintending the process of saddling with equa- 

 nimity. 



" Cruel bad temper he's in to-day ! Why, it's twenty 

 to one he doesn't get over the first two fences ! " Down- 

 ing exclaims in high good humour, which is but faintly 

 checked when Sir Henry quietly rejoins,,- — 



" I shouldn't make the odds about that too long, if I 

 were you, Downing; and if he can win, you may 

 depend upon it his rider will make him do it to-day." 



It is soon evident that Wynnerly can sit on, at any 

 rate. The moment he touches the saddle. Fireworks 

 forms himself into a species of Gothic arch, his saddle 

 being the apex, and then sets off to kick viciously, 

 wriggling his body at the same time in an apparent 

 attempt to see how his hind-legs look during the opera- 

 tion. 



This is the strategical movement which usually dis- 

 poses of his riders ; but it has not this effect on Wyn- 

 nerly, who, seeing that the question who is master had 

 better be promptly decided, uses his cutting whip with 



