40 MEMORIES OF THE SHIRES 



A Leicestershire field has the reputation of being 

 rather averse to open water, but those who have 

 hunted in that country for any length of time have 

 generally found by experience that the brooks are 

 much easier to get into than to get out of. The 

 banks are of clay, and the bottom is usually of the 

 same material, so that the former get washed away 

 and undermined, whilst the latter have a tenacity 

 for holding a horse in the water which often means 

 a cart team to pull him out. The first flight are, 

 however, always ready to ride at a brook when 

 one comes in their way, a combination of bold- 

 ness in horse and man then generally carries them 

 safely over. If either is vacillating or half-hearted 

 in making the attempt, they are pretty certain 

 to come to grief. There is a certain amount of 

 satisfaction in sailing down at a brook and flying 

 over without having to look at the place first. 

 The satisfaction is considerably enhanced when 

 the next man makes a hole in the water and 

 then crawls dripping up the bank. The streams 

 that divide the different valleys in Leicestershire 

 are very deceptive, and one place may be only 

 six feet wide, whilst a few yards right or left it is 

 quite likely to be twenty feet. I remember one day 

 we came down to the Twyford brook ; hounds 

 were not running very fast, and a friend said, 

 " Where can we get over ? " " Come on," I rephed, 

 and digging in my heels rode confidently at a place 

 I thought was quite small. My memory was, 

 however, slightly at fault, and the horse, thinking 

 the jump beyond his powers, tried to cut it in the 

 last stride. In we went with a splash, much to 

 the amusement of the others, who, finding the spot 



