19 



CHAPTER II. 



MY FIRST PONY. 



"A horse ! a horse ! my kingdom for a horse /" 



Shakespeare. 



I FIRST learnt to ride upon an old snaffle- 

 bridle hunter of my father's named " Rapid," 

 whose portrait still hangs in my breakfast-room, 

 and a photograph of which it is intended shall 

 form a frontispiece to these papers ; and my 

 readers will probably agree with me when I say 

 he was a perfect model of a fourteen stone 

 hunter, possessing breeding and power. He 

 was a grand mover all round — one of the best 

 walkers I ever saw, could trot twelve miles an 

 hour, a rare galloper, was as good-tempered 

 as he was good-looking, and one of the most 

 perfect fencers I ever got across. If he had 

 not been the latter mv father would not have 



