256 SOME CURIOUS HORSES 



time, " I suppose it is a charger," and received (as 

 I thought) an answer in the affirmative. 



The horse was sent over to my stables that 

 evening, and the next morning at 4 a.m., on going 

 out of my tent, I found a very fine bright chestnut 

 horse, evidently nearly thoroughbred, being led 

 about by my groom. Well, I mounted him and 

 rode off, and after duly inspecting the pickets and 

 outposts, rode on to join the general staff. As I 

 was going along I suddenly found myself on one of 

 those dangerous pieces of ground that are to be 

 often met with in the Aldershot district — all seamed 

 with cart-ruts worn into the sand, varying from 2 

 to 4 feet in depth, and overgrown with heather, so 

 that you cannot detect them until you are actually 

 amongst them. Finally, finding where I was, I 

 took my legs out of the stirrups, and put the reins 

 on the horse's neck, knowing that I could not help 

 him, and let him pick his way as best he could. 

 He was doing this very cleverly, when suddenly a 

 gun from a battery, concealed in a hollow close by, 

 was fired (it was, in fact, the gun to tell the troops 

 to be ready to move). My horse did not take the 

 slightest notice of it, not even pricking his ears. Of 

 course I thought that as he took no sort of notice 

 of big guns he must be thoroughly broken, and used 

 him as if he was — riding him with cavalry, artillery, 



