A HUNTSMAN. 145 



persuading Peggy to jump small fences. Young 

 Brookley one day let Bill have the glorious treat of a 

 gallop on the Downs, and for the first time he felt the 

 supreme pleasure of being borne over the grass on the 

 back of a thoroughbred horse. If his father would only 

 have let him take service in the training stables, so that 

 he might ride every day, his cup of happiness would 

 have been full ; but for a gardener he was at this time 

 destined, and he knew that to suggest anything else 

 would be not only futile but would give his father pain. 



After the thoroughbred's stride Peggy seemed to go 

 absurdly short, but Peggy was better than nothing, and 

 it was owing to her that Bill came to enjoy the happiest 

 day of his life — a gallop after the hounds on a good 

 horse. Farmer Maizeley — young Maizeley in those days 

 — was driving along the road when he came upon Bill 

 trying to persuade Peggy to jump a low rail and ditch. 

 It was in the afternoon, and the hounds having just 

 crossed the road, Bill was suddenly fired with ambition 

 to see some of the sport otherwise than on his legs. 

 Peggy had done it before, but on this occasion was in 

 one of her tantrums, stopped short at the rail, and 

 amply justified her sponsors by kicking her hardest. 

 Maizeley pulled up to see the fun, watched the unwilling 

 steed refuse, and noted how patient but persistent, firm 

 but gentle, the boy was. 



" She's not what you'd call a well-trained hunter, that 

 pony. Bill ? " Maizeley said, chaffingly : there is no story 

 he so loves to tell as how he made Bill a huntsman. 



I. 



