My First Pony. 43 



and-tumble scramble he got ; but he managed 

 to save an actual fall, and the deeper the 

 ground the better it seemed to suit him. 

 We often hear, and it is really the case, that 

 nothing but a good one and in condition can 

 go through deep ground. I suppose from his 

 lightness and that of his rider he went above 

 it ; I can answer for it that no pains were taken 

 with his condition, and yet he was always ready 

 and fit, and the further he went the more it 

 seemed to bring out the gallant stuff that 

 was in him. I have since that time owned more 

 than a hundred horses, and amongst them 

 many clippers ; but I can safely say, that I 

 never had anything with half the speed (for 

 his size), the cleverness, endurance, and in- 

 domitable pluck that this poor old fellow had. 

 At length he began to fall off in condition, 

 could not feed well, and as I was getting 

 too heavy for him, besides I had been pro- 

 moted to a bigger, though not a better nag, 

 and my father did not care to let my younger 

 brothers ride him, the edict went forth that 

 the poor pony was to^ be shot ; he was much 

 too good a sort to be allowed to spin out a 

 lingering existence in any ignominious way. 



