192 Hunting the Grisly 



and were off with clamorous yelping, while 

 the hunt thundered after them like a herd of 

 buffaloes. We went headlong down the hill- 

 side into and across a brook. Here the trail 

 led straight up a sheer bank. Most of the 

 riders struck off to the left for an easier place, 

 which was unfortunate for them, for the eight 

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

 horse falling back with him) were the only 

 ones who kept on terms with the hounds. Al- 

 most 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 num- 

 ber, 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 re- 

 covered the line and swung off to the right, 

 back across four or five fields, so as to enable 



