Page:Shiana - Peadar Ua Laoghaire.djvu/40

26 his mind. Beside all that, he had matter for thought that kept him occupied. He was thinking of the horse and of the cow and of what all the neighbours would say when they saw him on horseback. They would ask where he got the money. What excuse would he have to give?

When they reached the fair-green, and Shiana saw all the horses, he was bewildered, and did not know what it would be best for him to do. There were big horses there, and little horses, old horses and young horses, black horses and white horses, grey horses and speckled horses, horses neighing and horses leaping, horses that had fine skins and were well-built and powerful, and ugly little shaggy colts. Among them all he utterly failed to fix his mind upon the one that he would like.

At last he laid his eye upon a fine jet-black horse, well-knit and full of braced-up energy, that was cantering about the field with a light lissom rider on his back. Shiana moved up and beckoned to the rider. Before the rider had time to notice him, three other horsemen passed him, and they all four went off down the field at full gallop. There was a double fence between them and the field outside, and they all four went freely, lightly, with well-directed speed, over the fence, without letting forefoot or hind-foot touch it. Then on they went right ahead in a straight line without any one of them having an inch of advantage over another. On they went, the breast and the slender body of each horse all but touching the green grass of the field, the head of each horse stretched out to full length, the head of each rider bent down, and all rushing along as a "fairy wind" would rush.