Hunting with Ho2t7ids. ^i^ 



an easier place, which was unfortunate for them, for the 

 eight of us who went straight up the side (one man's 

 horse faUing back with him) were the only ones who kept 

 on terms with the hounds. Almost as soon as we got to 

 the top of the bank we came out of the woods over a low 

 but awkward rail fence, where one of our number, who 

 was riding a very excitable sorrel colt, got a fall. This 

 left but six, including the whip. There were two or three 

 large fields with low fences ; then we came to two high, 

 stiff doubles, the first real jumping of the day, the fences 

 being over four feet six, and so close together that the 

 horses barely had a chance to gather themselves. We 

 got over, however, crossed two or three stump-strewn 

 fields, galloped through an open wood, picked our way 

 across a marshy spot, jumped a small brook and two or 

 three stiff fences, and then came a check. Soon the 

 hounds recovered the line and swung off to the right, back 

 across four or five fields, so as to enable the rest of the 

 hunt, by making an angle, to come up. Then we jumped 

 over a very high board fence into the main road, out of it 

 again, and on over ploughed fields and grass land, sepa- 

 rated by stiff snake fences. The run had been fast and 

 the horses were beginning to tail. By the time we sud- 

 denly rattled down into a deep ravine and scrambled up 

 the other side through thick timber there were but four of 

 us left. Lodge and myself being two of the lucky ones. 

 Beyond tiiis ravine we came to one of the worst jumps of 

 the day, a fence out of the w^ood, w4iich was practicable 

 only at one spot, where a kind of cattle trail led up to a 

 panel. It was within an inch or two of five feet high. 



