At the word the man walked into her box. As he did so he looked out for her hoofs, but his circumspection was in vain: in a moment she had wheeled, jammed him against the wall, and taken his shoulder in her teeth. He gave a yell of pain. His lordship caught up a stable-broom, and attacked the mare with it over the door; but it flew from his hand to the other end of the stable, and the partition began to go after it. But she still kept her hold of the man. Happily, however, Malcolm was not far off, and hearing the noise, rushed in. He was just in time to save the groom’s life. Clearing the stall-partition, and seizing the mare by the nose with a mighty grasp, he inserted a fore-finger behind her tusk, for she was one of the few mares tusked like a horse, and soon compelled her to open her mouth. The groom staggered and would have fallen, so cruelly had she mauled him, but Malcolm’s voice roused him. “For God’s sake gang oot, as lang ’s there’s twa limbs o’ ye stickin’ thegither.” The poor fellow just managed to open the door, and fell senseless on the stones. Lord Liftore called for help, and they carried him into the saddle room, while one ran for the nearest surgeon. Meantime Malcolm was putting a muzzle on Kelpie, which he believed she understood as a punishment, and while he was thus occupied, his lordship came from the saddle-room and approached the box. “Who are you?” he said. “I think I have seen you before.” “I was servant to the late Marquis of Lossie, my lord, and now I am groom to her ladyship.” “What a fury you’ve brought up with you! She’ll never do for London.” “I told the man not to go near her, my lord.” “What’s the use of her if no one can go near her?” “I can, my lord.” “By Jove, she’s a splendid creature to look at! but I don’t know what you can do with her here, my man. She’s fit to go double with Satan himself.” “She’ll do for me to ride after my lady well enough. If only I had room to exercise her a bit!” “Take her into the park early in the morning, and gallop her round. Only mind she don’t break your neck. What can have made Lady Lossie send for such a devil as that!” Malcolm held his peace. “I’ll try her myself some morning,” said his lordship, who thought himself a better horseman than he was. “I wouldn’t advise you, my lord.” “Who the devil asked your advice?” “Ten to one she’ll kill you, my lord.” “That’s my look out,” said Liftore, and went into the house. As soon as he had done with Kelpie, Malcolm dressed himself in his new livery, and went to tell his mistress of her arrival. She sent him orders to bring the mare round in half-an-hour. He went back to her, took off her muzzle, fed her, and while she ate her corn, put on the spurs he had prepared expressly for her use--a spike without a rowel, rather blunt, but sharp indeed when sharply used --like those of the Gauchos of the Pampas. Then he saddled her, and rode her round.