22 How I Became a Sportsman. 



or less). The celebrated Assheton Smith is 

 said to have had a fall in every field in 

 Leicestershire ; but I think I have had more 

 than my share, and some very bad ones. 



I very soon got larking over all the likely- 

 looking places in and out of the road (and 

 unlikely ones too, for the matter of that), 

 became quite au fait at all kinds of jumps, 

 so much so that it began to get rather tame 

 work, and I longed for a fresh steed of some 

 kind or other ; and having heard of an extra- 

 ordinary donkey (it is a short step from the 

 sublime to the ridiculous), I got leave from 

 my father to borrow him, and arrangements 

 were made that I might have him for a few 

 weeks for his keep. I had heard wonderful 

 talk of this animal, who was said to be able 

 to do his forty miles a day. He belonged to 

 a carpenter, who used to ride him backwards 

 and forwards to his work ; and as he was 

 well kept and never ill-treated, he was sup- 

 posed to have lost his donkeyishness, and to 

 be quite free from stubbornness or vice. 



I have often heard that donkeys are made 

 stubborn from the hard and cruel usage they 

 receive; I can verv well believe that it is 



