116 FOX-HOUND, FOREST, AND PRAIRIE. 



stirrup leathers, more flasks, and more reputations lost in that 

 easy flowing stream (one of the very few honest bank-to-bank 

 water jumps that Leicestershire owns) than all the brooks of 

 Aylesbury could account for. 



To-day's was a lovely picture. 'Twould be too personal by 

 far for me to set on paper. A painter might have made of it a 

 canvas-subject to include as many portraits as foregather in the 

 well-known Bond-street picture of the Four-in-Hand Meet (and 

 have stood a very good chance of getting his head punched 

 afterwards for liberties taken and truisms conveyed). On right 

 side or wrong, writer hurried from a scene, of which white 

 breeches planted on the bank, and snorting horses declining to* 

 be rescued were the leading features. But the water was shal- 

 low — and those who got in so readily emerged with almost equal 

 facility, weighing possibly an extra twenty pounds of mud and 

 water. A check on the hillside beyond formed the field into two- 

 parties (no one for the moment looked at the hounds), represent- 

 ing respectively the pride of success and the humility of failure. 

 The upper ten looked back with highly unbecoming merriment 

 on the confusion below, and greeted each fresh comer with un- 

 seemly chaff on what should have been matter for anxious 

 condolence. But that black mud was sadly against appearance 

 or dignity, and entirely set aside any vain attempt at maintain- 

 ing either. Fortunately, hounds quickly started on again, and 

 the two sections (the elated and the humiliated) again merged 

 into a common body, to meet the still smaller brook at MarfiekL 

 To this, I fancy, we were all equal. But soon afterwards John 

 o' Gaunt was passed ; and beyond Tilton Village nothing could 

 be done — if we except the proved possibility of slipping up on 

 the icy hillsides by Lord Moreton's (no, I learn it is properly 

 Lord Aberdour's) Covert. 



The Master then left the half-frozen neighbourhood of Billes- 

 don Coplow, and ordered Barkby Holt as the next point of 

 appeal. The old traveller of Friday was back already ; and 

 this afternoon they made him stride along to a more sprightly 

 tune than before. He left covert along the bordering lane ; 



