172 WAYFARING NOTIONS 



their raising or training studs as visitors rather 

 than residents. I can conceive nothing more 

 charming than the position of the former species 

 of owner, who, among his stud matrons, sires, and 

 their progeny of various ages, is as was the old- 

 fashioned squire on his estates and in the village 

 we will suppose adjacent, and pretty much his 

 property, where he knows every man Jack of 'em, 

 also Dick, Tom, and Harry, with Jill and the 

 rest to match, their histories and forbears, their 

 occupations, prospects, joys, and troubles, and 

 has no small hand in making the world go well 

 for all. Births, deaths, and marriages in his stud 

 are on a par with like news among the villagers. 

 The foals are the babies, the yearlings the little 

 children, the two-year-olds the "growing" boys 

 and girls, lads and lassies, and the three-year-olds, 

 the come-of-age men and women, as are the 

 elders, to be located among the other s lot — ages 

 with, at every stage, the real head of the stable's 

 eye and heart on them, as part of his own 

 establishment. Here comes in sentiment which 

 should keep sport at its strongest. The other 

 sort more mature humans have to take on the 

 principle of eating crust if you can't get crumb, 

 but is nothing like so enjoyable, though, of 

 course, for many busy owners, the only kind to 

 be had. 



A treat I always prize greatly, is doing a stud 

 farm and training stable in leisurely fashion, 

 without any obligation to go through the stables 

 or the paddocks beyond taking general observa- 

 tions. In March of 1905 I made a pilgrimage 

 through the geographical district known as Choke 

 Jade, to renew acquaintance with my old friend 

 Moifaa, whose appearance, I was informed, had 



