Doubtless a first-class horseman can ride as well without stirrups as with them.

But I was not a first-class horseman.

When anything unexpected happened, I was apt to clasp the solemn buggy horse firmly with my spurred heels, and the result was that he laid himself out to do his best in the way of galloping.

He speedily found that, thanks to the snaffle bit, I could not pull him in, so when we came to a down grade he would usually put on steam.

Then if there was a fence at the bottom and he checked at all, I was apt to shoot forward, and in such event we went over the fence in a way that reminded me of Leech's picture, in _Punch_, of Mr.Tom Noddy and his mare jumping a fence in the following order: Mr.Tom Noddy, I; his mare, II.