30 How I Became a Sportsman. 



anywhere near it was difficult to tear myself 

 away, and I was often late at school in conse- 

 quence, and caught it accordingly. 



I sometimes sounded my father as to the 

 great desirability of my having a pony of my 

 own, no doubt with latent thoughts in my 

 mind as to this particular one ; but he, as I 

 thought at the time, turned a deaf ear to 

 anything of the kind. I made all sorts of 

 inquiries about the pony, and could gather 

 that he was a perfect wonder, and that the 

 Doctor used to frequently drive him to Bristol 

 and back in a day, which greatly inflamed 

 my desire to possess him. But I had not 

 the remotest idea how this was to be accom- 

 plished, or that it was so soon to be realized. 



In the course of time the old Doctor was 

 gathered to his fathers ; and soon afterwards 

 his effects were advertised to be sold by 

 auction, and amongst them the veritable pony. 

 And when the day of sale arrived, I begged for 

 a half holiday to go and see the last of him. 

 My father said there was some rum about 

 forty years old included in the sale, and he was 

 going to see if he could buy it, and I might 

 go with him. It was a pleasurable and yet a 



