THE PRIVATE PUPIL. 69 



foars^ and seven off. iMj own experience, too, went to 

 assure me that lie was something- more than a hack ; and 

 after I had cut in once or twice with the harriers, there 

 were plenty of others willing to believe as mnch. Indeed, 

 I heard one oracle, of rather a serious turn of mind, 

 acknowledge the fact with a "what a pity !" kind of 

 commentary — meaning*, of course, what a sad thing- it was 

 that so g'ood a horse should come to be rattled about by a 

 young* gentleman of such primitive notions as myself. 

 I can't say, thoug-h, that I saw the thing- altog-ether in 

 this lig-ht. 



Within a fair walk of the vicarage there had been pro- 

 videntially provided a g'ood-sized country town, whither 

 we went to buy sticks, post letters, have our hair cut, 

 and get throug-h any other trifling business of a b3^e-day« 

 By the end of the first season my horse's reputation was 

 in very strong bloom hercj and when, in accordance 

 with the especial spirit of the times, a steeple-chase fever 

 broke o\it amongst the inhabitants, they registered a half- 

 promise from me that my nag' should "make one." Ivv'as 

 very young' at the time — a fact which any g-entleman who 

 may have the "what a pity !" conclusion again ready for 

 use will please to remember. 



The attempt prospered : the cheque of a decidedk 

 sporting- banker was already good for the " fifty added," 

 and the day of entry drew on. Unfortunatel}', as it 

 would seem, just at this very nick of time a veterinary 

 surgeon, of acknowledged ability, fancied that my " riding 

 horse" had got a little heat in one of the back-sinews, 

 and, with the Doctor's permission, took him off" to his 

 own hospital, the more effectually to put him on his legs 

 again. The way he set about this was certainly rather 

 extraordinary ; but it only shows the great advance we 



