250 SOME CURIOUS HORSES 



that his temper would hinder him from being a 

 'chaser, I rode him with the hounds, and a finer 

 hunter never existed ; but I never rode him with 

 spurs, and always had to remember not to touch 

 him with my heels. If I moved them towards him 

 I felt him begin to screw up ; but he never 

 required pressing — he was so very free and fast. 

 He never, however, forgot his old tricks, and a very 

 favourite amusement of the youngsters in the 

 district was when they met anyone who was 

 bumptious about his riding to offer to bet him 

 that he would not gallop a certain horse round a 

 paddock three times. Then they got me to lend 

 them my old friend. It is quite needless to say 

 that no one ever did succeed in sitting him three, 

 times round, as they were sure to rise in their 

 stirrups and touch him with the spur, with the 

 invariable consequences. 



I sold him at last to a man who had often seen 

 me ride him, and who envied him for his great speed, 

 having warned him that he would not bear spurs. 

 However, he would have the horse, and took him into 

 Leicestershire, where he went very well I believe. 



The best horse I ever had must have been 

 predestined to become my property, so singularly 

 did I meet it and ultimately purchase it. 



I went one day to St Pancras terminus to meet 



