RIDING RECOLLECTIONS 



regular pilot (and I may observe his office requires 

 no little nerve, as they are pretty quickon to a leader 

 if he gets down), I would entreat them not to try 

 "cutting out the work," as it is called, but rather 

 to wait and see one rider, at least, over a leap 

 before they attempt it themselves. It is frightful 

 to think of a woman landing in a pit, a water- 

 course, or even so deep a ditch as may cause the 

 horse to roll over her when he falls. With her 

 less muscular frame she is more easily injured 

 than a man ; with her finer organisation she 

 cannot sustain injury as well. It turns one sick 

 to think of her dainty head between a horse's hind 

 legs, or of those cruel pommels bruising her 

 delicate ribs and bosom. It is at least twenty to 

 one in our favour every time we fall, whereas 

 with her the odds are all the other way, and it is 

 almost twenty to one she must be hurt. 



What said the wisest of king's concerning- a fair 

 woman without discretion ? We want no Solomon 

 to remind us that with her courage roused, her 

 ambition excited, all the rivalry of her nature 

 called into play, she has nowhere more need of 

 this judicious quality than in the hunting-field. 



ii8 



