208 FoX-HUNTING 



little creature, most ready to do anything that his cruel 

 young master wishes, makes his leap. But the fact is 

 that Johnny ' funks.' As the pony rises, he holds tightly 

 on to the reins, and fear causes his legs to relax their 

 grip ; the consequence is that the thrust of the animal's 

 quarters throws him forward, and as he grasps his reins 

 all the tighter and the shorter, he is half dragged and 

 half impelled out of his saddle, flies over the pony's head, 

 and lands on his back. 



Shall w^e see how Tommy Stout manages ? In the 

 first place, he is not afraid, and does not lose his presence 

 of mind, which is half the battle, for he knows that his 

 pony's hind-quarters will give him the forward thrust 

 that we have been talking about, and that when the 

 animal lands he will want a certain amount of freedom for 

 his head. The pony goes confidently, for he knows that 

 his young master means to jump, and so they canter to 

 the fence. Tommy gives the pony his head, grasps the 

 saddle with his knees ; there is no rigidity about his 

 loins — that is to say, he is sitting firmly, but at the 

 same time easily. The animal rises, bounds across, and 

 lands lightly, Tommy having leaned back to counteract 

 the forward impulsion, and, as a very famous steeple- 

 chase rider used to say when instructing a pupil, ' given 

 plenty of rope.' He has, therefore, in no way ' hung on 

 by the bit,' as Johnny tried vainly to do. The jump 

 has been no exertion, and has not at all disturbed him 

 or his little steed ; and Johnny, rising from the ground 

 just in time to see the performance, looks on with envy, 

 and maliciously thinks how much he should like to punch 

 Tommy's head. 



On they go. Johnny's good little pony has placidly 

 waited for his clumsy master, and is rewarded with whip 



