340 TOLD AFTER- MESS 



" I turned in my saddle to answer, when, without 

 the slightest warning, and giving vent to a groan 

 which I seem to hear still, my horse suddenly fell 

 to the ground. A dozen men slipped off their horses 

 to lend a hand. We quickly unbuckled the girths 

 and pulled the saddle off, but, even as we did so, I 

 saw the glazing eye, which told unmistakably that 

 the poor old chap had done his last gallop and 

 jumped his last fence. He was as dead as Julius 

 CaBsar ! 



" ' By Jove, and it's one of the Queen's, too ! ' ex- 

 claimed an impetuous Subaltern. 



" ' Shut up, you young ass ! ' quickly rejoined his 

 Major in low tones, and the good youth incontinently 

 closed the floodgates of his eloquence just as an 

 enormous man, Colonel de Boots, in command of 

 the Cavalry depot, who had driven out to see the 

 fun, pushed his way through the little crowd 

 assembled round the ' stiff un ' in order to tender 

 his advice. 



" It was a tight place for those concerned, but the 

 tension was quickly relaxed when, instead of looking 

 at the horse, he turned to me and said, ' Deuced 

 sorry for your loss, really — most annoying. My 

 wife will be delighted to give you a seat in her 

 carriage. My servant shall look after your horse 

 until ' 



