yo The Chase 



asunder. Valentine was just behind, her fair face 

 flushed and her great eyes all aglow with excitement. 



" Don't come," he shouted out, half-turning in 

 his saddle. " It's a beastly place for a lady." 



But she had no notion of being so easily defeated. 

 She clenched her little white teeth, and sublimely 

 indifferent to his warning, pointed Beauty-boy's 

 small head at the thick, unyielding barrier. He 

 quickened his stride bravely in response. 



Animals of his class do not know what it is to 

 refuse. 



There was a shock, a forcible bearing backwards 

 which almost wrenched Valentine from the saddle 

 and tore the reins from her grasp, accompanied by 

 a smarting sensation in the face, and the next instant 

 she was sailing gaily along, a few yards in the rear 

 of Lord Blaston. 



" Well done ! " he exclaimed, with a smile of 

 commendation. " Bravo, old lady ! Crackington 

 to the fore as usual." 



She gave a little resolute laugh. They were 

 galloping too hard to render conversation feasible, 

 but his praise was sweet, for she honestly felt that 

 it was well-earned, and that Beauty-boy (if not 

 herself) was entitled to applause. . . . 



The whole party were now bearing rapidly down 

 towards a very nasty, unnegotiable-looking place. 

 It consisted of a thickly-grown hedge with a deep- 

 cut ditch on the near side, guarded by a stout ash 

 rail, and with a second oxer in the landing field, 

 that stood unpleasantly far out from the fence. It 

 was just possible for an extra clever hunter to drop 

 into the open space separating the hedge from the 

 further rail, and so take it at a double ; but at best 

 the obstacle was neither a very pleasant nor a very 

 jumpable one. Still it is wonderful what horses and 



