eauty, and with a nasty habit of turning round
and smiling, as if he meant to bite, when he was mounted.

Dick was clever at names, and he immediately suggested "Smiler" as an
appropriate name for the chestnut. The dark grey he called "Toothpick,"
because of his habit of rubbing his teeth on the sharp points of the
fence; while he called the big bony bay the "Nipper," from his being so
fond of grazing on, and taking nips from, the manes and tails of his
companions, when he could get a chance.

Mr Rogers provided three horses for his own riding, but it was with the
idea of giving either of his sons an extra mount when necessary, for it
was certain that there would be times when the arch-necked swift little
cobs purchased for his boys would want a rest.

It was a stroke of good fortune to get such a pair, and the boys were in
ecstasies when they were brought up from Maritzburg, for a handsomer
pair of little horses it would have been hard to find. They were both
of that rich dark reddish roan, and wonderfully alike, the differences
being in their legs; one being nearly black in this important part of
its person, the other having what most purchasers would call the blemish
of four white legs--it being a canon amongst the wise in horseflesh that
a dark or black-legged horse has better sinews and lasting powers. In
this case, however, the theory was wrong, for white legs was if anything
the stronger of the two.

The lads then were delighted, and this became increased when they found
the little nags quite ready to make friends, and willing to eat apples,
bread, or as much sugar out of their hands as they would give.

"That's right, my boys," said Mr Rogers, who found his sons making
friends in this way with the new arrivals; "always feed your horses
yourselves, and treat them well. Pet them as much as you like, and win
their confidence by your kindness. Never ill-use your horse; one act of
ill-treatment and you make him afraid of you, and then perhaps some day,
when in an emergency and you want to catch your horse, he may gallop
away. Go on like that, and those cobs will follow you about like dogs.
But you must each keep to his own horse. Which one would you like,
Jack?"

"Oh! the--"

Jack stopped, and glanced at his brother, whose face was slightly
flushed.

Dick was weak and delicate, while Jack was the perfection of boyish
vigour; and feeling that his brother did not enjoy life as he did
himself, he stoppe