218 rate's day with the old horse 



professional credit that he was twenty-six at least. 

 Be this as it may, when an hour later he walked out 

 of his loose box, he looked the very type and beau 

 i(Ual of a twelve-stone hunter. From the carriage 

 of his lean game head and trimly-docked tail, from 

 the cheery snort with which he welcomed the fresh 

 air, from the muscle on his square and massive 

 quarters, from his hard, clean legs and full, bold 

 eye, you might have fancied he was a six-year-old. 

 A veteran strapper who had followed the squire 

 from the Hall to the cottage, had spent an hour in 

 dressing the old horse, and the squire's own hands 

 had put the finishing touches to his toilette. Proud 

 and gay the old rascal looked before his mistress 

 mounted, but when she was in the saddle he gave 

 one wild kick from mere exuberance of spirits and 

 then trotted out of the yard, as old Tim expressed 

 it, " for all the world as if he was tridding on 



" Ye gods ! she is a dazzler ! Quite takes my 

 breath away," said a shiny-hatted, faultlessly- 

 breeched stranger from Dublin to a young local 

 Nimrod ; " why, there are not half-a-dozen girls, 

 even with the Meath, who have ventured out yet 

 in Busvine's scarlet array, and here is a young lady 

 in the wilds of Gonaway with a seat like a sack of 



