66 The Chase 



blue coats and red coats, bays and greys, horses, 

 dogs, donkeys, butchers, bare-knights, dustmen, and 

 blackguard boys, go tearing, altogether, over the 

 common after two or three of the pack that yowl 

 loudest. Why all this is, I can't say, but it all took 

 place the second Thursday of last March, in my 

 presence. 



Up to this I'd kept my seat as well as the best, 

 for we'd only been trotting gently about the field 

 until the dogs found ; and I managed to stick on 

 very well ; but directly the tow-rowing began, off 

 went Trumpeter like a thunderbolt, and I found 

 myself playing among the dogs like a donkey among 

 the chickens ! " Back, Mr. Coxe," holloas the 

 huntsman ; and so I pulled back very hard, and 

 cried out " Wo," but he wouldn't ; and on I went 

 galloping for the dear life. How I kept on is a 

 wonder ; but I squeezed my knees in very tight, 

 and shoved my feet very hard in the stirrups, and 

 kept stiff" hold of the scruff" of Trumpeter's neck, 

 and looked betwixt his ears as well as ever I could, 

 and trusted to luck, for I was in a mortal fright, 

 sure enough, as many a better man would be in 

 such a case, let alone a poor hair-dresser. 



As for the hounds, after my first riding in among 

 them, I tell you, honestly, I never saw so much as 

 the tip of one of their tails ; nothing in this world 

 did I see except Trumpeter's dun-coloured mane, 

 and that I gripped firm ; by the blessing of luck, 

 safe through the walking, the trotting, the galloping, 

 and never so much as getting a tumble. 



There was a chap at Croydon, very well known 

 as the " Spicy Dustman," who, when he could get 

 no horse to ride to the hounds, turned regularly out 

 on his donkey ; and, on this occasion, made one of 

 us. He generally managed to keep up with the 



