236 SOME CURIOUS HORSES 



do not know, but it was in my possession for 

 twenty-two years, and was said to be an old one 

 when my father bought it. Its death at last was 

 brought on by eating a quantity of half-ripe 

 apples. Having been turned out into an orchard, 

 a sudden gale in the night knocked down a great 

 many of them, and the old fellow ate such a lot 

 that they brought on an attack in his stomach, 

 which killed him in a few hours. 



I had one very queer- tempered horse given to 

 me. A friend, a great hunting man, wrote and 

 asked me to come up and lunch with him and talk 

 over some intended " meets." I accepted the 

 invitation, and went up to his house. After lunch 

 he proposed a stroll over his stables. As we were 

 going over them we came to a horse in a stall 

 quite away from the rest of the stud. My friend 

 asked me if I did not know it. I, however, did not 

 recognise the horse, as it had a longish coat on, 

 and he then told me that it was one that a Mr 

 Goldsmidt had given 500 guineas for about a year 

 previously, and, finding it too much for him, had 

 presented it to my friend. " Now," said he, " I will 

 give it to you, and if you will not have the animal 

 I shall send it to the kennel to-morrow." I, as 

 may be imagined, was greatly surprised, as the 

 horse was considered to be one of the best hunters 



