The Horse. 21 



he was asked to jump a stone wall, but, to the 

 astonishment of his rider and those who knew 

 his great qualities as a jumper, he refused flatly 

 to take the wall, though urged several times with 

 whip and spur. 



Fortunately for both horse and rider 

 the former knew the ground better than the 

 latter ; for, on the opposite side of the wall, at the 

 point where the reckless rider would have taken 

 the leap, was a deep hole or quarry, in which, in 

 all human probability, both horse and man would 

 have met with serious injury, if not total destruc- 

 tion. That horse was completely spoilt as a 

 hunter, for never from that day forth could he be 

 induced to take any jump, even of the sinr.plest 

 kind. He knew full well that he was being urged 

 to his destruction, and this had such an effect 



