1 62 HUNTING THE GRISLY. 



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. 

 Almost 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 

 number, who was riding a very excitable sor- 

 rel 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, gal- 

 loped 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 recovered the line 

 and swung off to the right, back across four or 

 five fields, so as to enable the rest of the hunt, 

 by making an angle, to come up. Then we 

 jumped over a very high board fence into the 

 main road, out of it again, and on over 

 ploughed fields and grass lands, separated by 

 stiff snake fences. The run had been fast and 

 the horses were beginning to tail. By the 

 time we suddenly rattled down into a deep ra- 

 vine and scrambled up the other side through 

 thick timber there were but four of us left, 

 Lodge and myself being two of the lucky ones. 

 Beyond this ravine we came to one of the 

 worst jumps of the day, a fence out of the 



