48 How I Became a Sportsmax. 



sensation not to be hauled about at the will 

 of a mad little beggar, who didn't care where 

 he went. I was now allowed to go out with 

 my father, w^ho seemed always pleased to see 

 me take my fences as they came, and like a 

 workman, as he said ; whereas after my first 

 appearance on the old pony, he took precious 

 good care never to go out with me, nor indeed 

 to go out on the same day, always, w^hen he 

 allow^ed me to go, sending me oiF to distant 

 fixtures, and keeping the near ones for himself. 

 I cannot call to mind that Black Diamond 

 ever gave me a fall, and if I am correct in 

 this, I believe it was the only time in my life 

 that I went so long a time without one. I 

 have since had three, four, and even five in a 

 day, but that was when I was riding young 

 and unmade horses, which I took a fancy 

 to do at one time, ay, and liked it too for 

 some years ; but after a long course of this 

 sort of thing I got tired of it, after having as 

 much knocking about as falls to the lot of 

 most men, and took to riding horses of good 

 figure and character, which had passed through 

 good hands, and were supposed to have seen 

 their best days ; but I found I could go along 



