70 A HUNTER FOR THE GODS. 



hunter approaches the steeple-chaser, the better hun- 

 ter he is for our style of hunting. I remember hear- 

 ing my father say that he once had a favourite hunter 

 put in training for a hunter's stakes, which he won ; 

 but he declared, for twice the stakes he would not 

 have had him trained, as it spoiled him as a hunter ; 

 and no doubt it did for a hunter of sixty years ago : 

 but I doubt not what he considered as spoiling him, 

 I should perhaps consider as having improved him. 

 I have no doubt it taught him to go faster, and, with 

 me, whatever makes a horse go faster than before 

 improves him, though it is very probably attended 

 with more trouble to myself; for unquestionably the 

 nearer we bring a hunter in his style of going to the 

 race-horse, the more will he want holding togethei*. 

 Still I hold it pleasanter, or I should say less annoy- 

 ing, to have my arms ache steering a flyer, than have 

 my heart ache labouring along on a slow one. It 

 may be said a perfect hunter should be as fast as a 

 race-horse, fly his fences like a bird when wished, 

 take timber with the bound of a deer when wanted, 

 be a steady standing leaper, and do all this without 

 making his master's arms ache, or giving him any 

 trouble ; in fact, do all this, and allow his rider to sit 

 down in his saddle and smoke his cigar, looking with 

 side-glance triumph at his less fortunate neighbours. 

 This wovdd certainly be perfect luxury, and the horse 

 that could do it would be a perfect hunter : but such 

 nags ar3 verily not to be found tied up in bundles 

 like asparagus. This, at one season of the year, is a 

 tolerably expensive addition to lamb ; but such hun- 

 ters as I have supposed to exist would come to some- 

 thing more at any season. It is possible, by giving 

 enormous prices, a man of 12st. may get a horse 



