A SAD ACCIDENT 135 



and neve)' inoved afterwards. On a post-mortem 

 examination it was found that she had actually 

 broken her heart, as the aorta had been burst, and 

 death was instantaneous ! I had some of her silky- 

 mane preserved, and one hoof mounted in silver as 

 an inkstand. Thus tragically ended the career of 

 one of the best hunters a man ever possessed. 



Misfortunes did not end here. With great care 

 and attention we brought up the foal by hand, 

 which throve and grew into a great beauty, but 

 smaller than her distinguished dam. I very care- 

 fully reared her, and, when rising four years old, 

 thought the time had arrived to make her useful as a 

 good hunter. She was broken and well handled, and 

 showed herself to be a fine mover, with all the grace 

 and good temper of her mother. One day, when 

 down at the homestead, I found this filly had broken 

 out of the field, got over the brook, and jumped a 

 fence into a neighbour's enclosure. I sent round 

 one of my men to bring her home, when he dis- 

 covered that some mischievous boys had driven her 

 into a rickyard, and had hunted her round under 

 pretence of driving her home, when she sprang at a 

 gate, struck the top rail with her knees ; the rail 

 broke, one of the splintered ends entered her chest, 

 pierced her heart, and she fell dead in the yard ! 

 I never believed in breeding what are called ' nag 

 horses' ; there is so much risk that it is scarcely 

 worth the anxiety ; but a good cart horse, even if 

 he accidentally became blemished, can earn his living 



