RIDING RECOLLECTIONS 



support, and on those rare occasions when his 

 own is insufficient, he seems to borrow daring 

 and resolution from his rider. 



If the man's heart is in the right place, his 

 horse will seldom fail him ; and were we asked 

 to name the one essential without which it is 

 impossible to attain thorough proficiency in the 

 saddle, we should not hesitate to say nerve. 



Nerve, I repeat, in contradistinction to pluck. 

 The latter takes us into a difficulty, the former 

 brings us out of it. Both are comprised in the 

 noble quality we call emphatically valour, but 

 while the one is a brilliant and imposing costume, 

 so is the other an honest wear-and-tear fabric, 

 equally fit for all weathers, fine and foul. 



"You shiver. Colonel — you are afraid," said an 

 insubordinate Major, who ought to have been put 

 under arrest then and there, to his commanding 

 officer on the field of Prestonpans. " I am afraid, 

 sir," answered the Colonel; "and if you were as 

 much afraid as I am, you would run away ! " 



I have often thought this improbable anecdote 

 exemplifies very clearly that most meritorious of 

 all courage which asserts the dominion of our will 

 over our senses. The Colonel's answer proves 

 he was full of valour. He had lots of pluck, but, 

 as he was bold enough to admit, a deficiency of 

 nerve. 



Now the field of Diana happily requires but a 



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