The Merry Past 



On one occasion, as they were running their fox 

 across a gentleman's park, Sir Harry, who was the best- 

 tempered man alive, was found in desperate dudgeon 

 with his horse. A friend who was riding by his side 

 enquired the reason of his wrath, " This unruly 

 brute," said the baronet, " has been plunging with 

 me every hundred yards since we entered the park . . . 

 there again, confound the beast ! you see he won't 

 be quiet." " Lord bless you ! " said the querist, 

 " Sir Harry, that's not plunging ; why, the horse is 

 only leaping over the iron palings, that's all." " Oh, 

 ho ! " was the rejoinder, " there are invisible fences 

 here, are there ? " 



On another occasion a party of hard-riding men 

 had come from some other hunt to see the Cheshire, 

 and, of course, to criticise. This put the master on 

 his mettle, and he had been riding in the dark with 

 his hounds all day, as though he valued his neck as 

 little as a pipe-stopper. They had come to a check, 

 and just at the moment when an indiscretion hazarded 

 the fate of the day, and his own honour and glory, in 

 went the rowels, and over a flight of rails flew the 

 M.F.H. to the dismay of the field. " Main wa ring's 

 run mad," shouted a brother sportsman. " What on 

 earth ails him ? See what's the matter with your 

 master instantly," speaking to one of the whips. By 

 an extraordinary effort the man contrived to come up 

 with him, and breathlessly asked where he was going. 

 " Going, you blockhead ! " was the answer, " where 

 should I be going ? Don't you see the hounds before 

 you ? " " Oh, Lord, Sir Harry," cried the man of 



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