第18章

’Thenyouareallright，master；there’snofear。Trusthimfornothurtingayounggentleman，anofficer’sson，whocan’tride。

Ifyouwereablackguarddragoon，indeed，withlongspurs，’twereanotherthing；asitis，he’lltreatyouasifheweretheelderbrotherthatlovesyou。Ride!He’llsoonteachyoutorideifyouleavethematterwithhim。He’sthebestriding-masterinallIreland，andthegentlest。’

Thecobwasledforth；whatatremendouscreature!Ihadfrequentlyseenhimbefore，andwonderedathim；hewasbarelyfifteenhands，buthehadthegirthofametropolitandray-horse；

hisheadwassmallincomparisonwithhisimmenseneck，whichcurveddownnoblytohiswideback：hischestwasbroadandfine，andhisshouldersmodelsofsymmetryandstrength；hestoodwellandpowerfullyuponhislegs，whichweresomewhatshort。Inaword，hewasagallantspecimenofthegenuineIrishcob，aspeciesatonetimenotuncommon，butatthepresentdaynearlyextinct。

’There!’saidthegroom，ashelookedathim，halfadmiringly，halfsorrowfully，’withsixteenstoneonhisback，he’lltrotfourteenmilesinonehour，withyourninestone，sometwoandahalfmoreay，andclearasix-footwallattheendofit。’

’I’mhalfafraid，’saidI；’Ihadratheryouwouldridehim。’

’I’dratherso，too，ifhewouldletme；butherememberstheblow。

Now，don’tbeafraid，youngmaster，he’slongingtogoouthimself。

He’sbeentramplingwithhisfeetthesethreedays，andIknowwhatthatmeans；he’llletanybodyridehimbutmyself，andthankthem；

buttomehesays，“No!youstruckme。“’

’But，’saidI，’where’sthesaddle？’

’Nevermindthesaddle；ifyouareevertobeafrankrider，youmustbeginwithoutasaddle；besides，ifhefeltasaddle，hewouldthinkyoudon’ttrusthim，andleaveyoutoyourself。Now，beforeyoumount，makehisacquaintance-seethere，howhekissesyouandlicksyourface，andseehowheliftshisfoot，that’stoshakehands。Youmaytrusthim-nowyouareonhisbackatlast；mindhowyouholdthebridle-gently，gently!It’snotfourpairofhandslikeyourscanholdhimifhewishestobeoff。MindwhatI

tellyou-leaveitalltohim。’

Offwentthecobataslowandgentletrot，toofastandrough，however，forsoinexperiencedarider。Isoonfeltmyselfslidingoff，theanimalperceivedittoo，andinstantlystoodstonestilltillIhadrightedmyself；andnowthegroomcameup：’Whenyoufeelyourselfgoing，’saidhe，’don’tlayholdofthemane，that’snouse；maneneveryetsavedmanfromfalling，nomorethanstrawfromdrowning；it’shissidesyoumustclingtowithyourcalvesandfeet，tillyoulearntobalanceyourself。That’sit，nowabroadwithyou；I’llbetmycomradeapotofbeerthatyou’llbearegularrough-riderbythetimeyoucomeback。’

Andsoitproved；Ifollowedthedirectionsofthegroom，andthecobgavemeeveryassistance。Howeasyisriding，afterthefirsttimidityisgotover，tosuppleandyouthfullimbs；andthereisnosecondfear。Thecreaturesoonfoundthatthenervesofhisriderwereinpropertone。Turninghisheadhalfround，hemadeakindofwhiningnoise，flungoutalittlefoam，andsetoff。

InlessthantwohoursIhadmadethecircuitoftheDevil’sMountain，andwasreturningalongtheroad，bathedwithperspiration，butscreamingwithdelight；thecoblaughinginhisequineway，scatteringfoamandpebblestotheleftandright，andtrottingattherateofsixteenmilesanhour。

Oh，thatride!thatfirstride!-mosttrulyitwasanepochinmyexistence；andIstilllookbacktoitwithfeelingsoflongingandregret。Peoplemaytalkoffirstlove-itisaveryagreeableevent，Idaresay-butgivemetheflush，andtriumph，andglorioussweatofafirstride，likemineonthemightycob!Mywholeframewasshaken，itistrue；andduringonelongweekIcouldhardlymovefootorhand；butwhatofthat？BythatonetrialIhadbecomefree，asImaysay，ofthewholeequinespecies。Nomorefatigue，nomorestiffnessofjoints，afterthatfirstrideroundtheDevil’sHillonthecob。

Oh，thatcob!thatIrishcob!-maythesodlielightlyoverthebonesofthestrongest，speediest，andmostgallantofitskind!

Oh!thedayswhen，issuingfromthebarrack-gateofTemplemore，wecommencedourhurry-skurryjustasinclinationled-nowacrossthefields-directoverstonewallsandrunningbrooks-merepastimeforthecob!-sometimesalongtheroadtoThurlesandHolyCross，eventodistantCahir!-whatwasdistancetothecob？

Itwasthusthatthepassionfortheequineracewasfirstawakenedwithinme-apassionwhich，uptothepresenttime，hasbeenratherontheincreasethandiminishing。Itisnoblindpassion；

thehorsebeinganobleandgenerouscreature，intendedbytheAll-

Wisetobethehelperandfriendofman，towhomhestandsnextintheorderofcreation。OnmanyoccasionsofmylifeIhavebeenmuchindebtedtothehorse，andhavefoundinhimafriendandcoadjutor，whenhumanhelpandsympathywerenottobeobtained。

ItisthereforenaturalenoughthatIshouldlovethehorse；butthelovewhichIentertainforhimhasalwaysbeenblendedwithrespect；forIsoonperceivedthat，thoughdisposedtobethefriendandhelperofman，heisbynomeansinclinedtobehisslave；inwhichrespecthediffersfromthedog，whowillcrouchwhenbeaten；whereasthehorsespurns，forheisawareofhisownworthandthathecarriesdeathwithinthehornofhisheel。If，therefore，Ifounditeasytolovethehorse，Ifounditequallynaturaltorespecthim。

Imuchquestionwhetherphilology，orthepassionforlanguages，requiressolittleofanapologyastheloveforhorses。Ithasbeensaid，Ibelieve，thatthemorelanguagesamanspeaks，themoreamanishe；whichisverytrue，providedheacquireslanguagesasamediumforbecomingacquaintedwiththethoughtsandfeelingsofthevarioussectionsintowhichthehumanraceisdivided；but，inthatcase，heshouldratherbetermedaphilosopherthanaphilologist-betweenwhichtwothedifferenceiswideindeed!Anindividualmayspeakandreadadozenlanguages，andyetbeanexceedinglypoorcreature，scarcelyhalfaman；andthepursuitoftonguesfortheirownsake，andthemeresatisfactionofacquiringthem，surelyarguesanintellectofaveryloworder；aminddisposedtobesatisfiedwithmeanandgrovellingthings；takingmorepleasureinthetrumperycasketthanintheprecioustreasurewhichitcontains；inthepursuitofwords，thanintheacquisitionofideas。

Icannothelpthinkingthatitwasfortunateformyself，whoam，toacertainextent，aphilologist，thatwithmethepursuitoflanguageshasbeenalwaysmodifiedbytheloveofhorses；forscarcelyhadIturnedmymindtotheformer，whenIalsomountedthewildcob，andhurriedforthinthedirectionoftheDevil’sHill，scatteringdustandflint-stonesoneveryside；thatride，amongstotherthings，taughtmethataladwiththewsandsinewswasintendedbynatureforsomethingbetterthanmereword-culling；

andifIhaveaccomplishedanythinginafterlifeworthyofmentioning，Ibelieveitmaypartlybeattributedtotheideaswhichthatride，bysettingmybloodinaglow，infusedintomybrain。Imight，otherwise，havebecomeamerephilologist；oneofthosebeingswhotoilnightanddayincullinguselesswordsforsomeOPUSMAGNUMwhichMurraywillneverpublish，andnobodyeverread；beingswithoutenthusiasm，who，havingnevermountedageneroussteed，cannotdetectagoodpointinPegasushimself；likeacertainphilologist，who，thoughacquaintedwiththeexactvalueofeverywordintheGreekandLatinlanguages，couldobservenoparticularbeautyinoneofthemostgloriousofHomer’srhapsodies。WhatknewheofPegasus？hehadnevermountedageneroussteed；themerestjockey，hadthestrainbeeninterpretedtohim，wouldhavecalleditabravesong!-Ireturntothebravecob。

OnacertaindayIhadbeenoutonanexcursion。Inacross-road，atsomedistancefromtheSatanichill，theanimalwhichIrodecastashoe。Bygoodluckasmallvillagewasathand，attheentranceofwhichwasalargeshed，fromwhichproceededamostfuriousnoiseofhammering。Leadingthecobbythebridle，I

enteredboldly。’Shoethishorse，anddoitquickly，agough，’

saidItoawildgrimyfigureofaman，whomIfoundalone，fashioningapieceofiron。

’Arrigodyuit？’saidthefellow，desistingfromhiswork，andstaringatme。

’Ohyes，Ihavemoney，’saidI，’andofthebest’；andIpulledoutanEnglishshilling。

’Tabhairchugam？’saidthesmith，stretchingouthisgrimyhand。

’No，Ishan’t，’saidI；’somepeoplearegladtogettheirmoneywhentheirworkisdone。’

Thefellowhammeredalittlelonger，andthenproceededtoshoethecob，afterhavingfirstsurveyeditwithattention。Heperformedhisjobratherroughly，andmorethanonceappearedtogivetheanimalunnecessarypain，frequentlymakinguseofloudandboisterouswords。Bythetimetheworkwasdone，thecreaturewasinastateofhighexcitement，andplungedandtore。Thesmithstoodatashortdistance，seemingtoenjoytheirritationoftheanimal，andshowing，inaremarkablemanner，ahugefang，whichprojectedfromtheunderjawofaverywrymouth。

’Youdeservebetterhandling，’saidI，asIwentuptothecobandfondledit；whereuponitwhinnied，andattemptedtotouchmyfacewithitsnose。

’Areyenotafraidofthatbeast？’saidthesmith，showinghisfang。’Arrah，it’sviciousthathelooks!’

’It’satyou，then!-Idon’tfearhim’；andthereuponIpassedunderthehorse，betweenitshindlegs。

’Andisthatallyoucando，agrah？’saidthesmith。

’No，’saidI，’Icanridehim。’

’Yecanridehim，andwhatelse，agrah？’

’Icanleaphimoverasix-footwall，’saidI。

’Overawall，andwhatmore，agrah？’

’Nothingmore，’saidI；’whatmorewouldyouhave？’