192 How I Became a Sportsmax. 



rushed at her fences, was a very big jumper, 

 as her immense back and large quarters gave 

 her very great power ; but her low bad 

 shoulders made her jump sometimes short, 

 and if there was a wide ditch on the other 

 side, very likely you would come a regular 

 crowner, whereas a good, long-shouldered horse 

 would have extended himself, or had a leg 

 to spare. It was not that she could not jump 

 wide enough, for I have known her to cover 

 five-and-twenty feet over a common sheep- 

 hurdle in cold blood. She was, as I have said, 

 a rusher at her fences, and if you would not 

 let her go when you got near it, she would 

 be up in the air plunging about, and some- 

 how or other would have the fence, be it 

 what it might; and she would have gone at 

 a house on fire, and would, in her blind 

 recklessness, jump upon anybody or anything. 

 I have nearly knocked out of their saddles 

 more than one man, jumped once upon a 

 harrow, and another time into a faggot pile 

 stuck up on end. She got at last more tem- 

 perate, and became very clever, was first-rate 

 at stone walls or timber, and there was nothing 

 in height that she could not jump; but a wide 



