AN M.F.H. — ANOTHER VARIETY. 89 



hunter, but nevertheless good-looking. That there was 

 something wrong somewhere seemed more than pro- 

 bable, from the fact that he had only cost twenty-four 

 pounds ; but Scruton had a plausible proverb to the 

 effect that a good rider made a good horse, and took 

 him on the chance of the " something " being not be- 

 yond remedy. 



He had trotted in fine style before Scruton bought 

 him, and this we soon found was his peculiarity. 

 Through the fence which bounded the covert when we 

 found the brown charged nobly, without an attempt at 

 rising, and off he went at a tremendously hard trot. 

 All endeavours to make him gallop were futile. If he 

 broke for a moment he speedily relapsed into his trot, 

 and after about ten minutes began to go very lame 

 indeed on his near fore-leg. 



We subsequently found that he was the winner of 

 several trotting matches, and had broken down beyond 

 hope of more than a very temporary patching up. One 

 of Scruton's old horses was out for whoever wanted it 

 most, and the huntsman being transferred to him, the 

 big brown was led off limping piteously. 



Our only Whip was on the third purchase, a very 

 mealy chestnut, which " tittuped " along like a rocking- 

 horse, requiring a great deal of coaxing at the smallest 

 fence, and kicked hard whenever it was touched with 

 whip or spur, without in the slightest mending its- pace. 

 The Whip was quite prevented from performing his 

 duties, never being able to get near the hounds, though 



