480 FOX-HOUND, FOREST, AND PRAIRIE. 



as he struck it, nor turned aside once for a sheltering hedge. 

 Nearly every fence had been newly laid ; but every fence was 

 within compass — and they varied from oxer to double, from 

 timber to bog. Yet I saw no grief, and I believe that little, if 

 any, happened. I tell you, sirs, it was fun. But would that it 

 had lasted longer. The}' shepherd their flocks very closely in 

 this region of Yelvertoft. Our friend of the crook was in the 

 way again ; and so limited our career, at speed, to some fifteen 

 minutes. Through the epidemic's bleared memory I can scarce 

 tell off even so slender a roll-call as comprised the evening's 

 attendance on hounds. But, besides the Duchess of Hamilton, 

 Mrs. Dalgleish, and Miss Hanbury, there were, if I mistake not, 

 Captains Atherton, Riddell, and Soarnes, Messrs. Adamthwaite, 

 Arkwright, Baring, G. Cunard, J. Cooper, Foster, Greig, 

 Jameson, Langham-Reid, Martin, Mildmay, Pender, Rhodes, 

 Wroughton. And the greatest of these, I take leave to say, 

 was Mr. Jameson on the grey. 



Overheard during the run. Injured and indignant official, 

 to shepherd whose colley has just returned panting from 

 pursuit of the fox — " Can't you keep your dog in ?" Response 

 " What are ye a' talking of? My dog's just as much right a' 

 running on him as yourn 'ave ! " 



An incident of the morning was the sharp collapse and com- 

 plete somersault (I believe, and hope, unattended by any serious 

 result) of two hardriders simultaneously at an apparently easy 

 hedge-and-ditch, and immediately afterwards, of a third, in a 

 still more unlooked-for manner. This last jumped out of a 

 road with entire success ; and his horse went on without 

 dwelling. What then ? Did he leave the saddle 1 Not a bit 

 of it. But the saddle left the horse ; and the two component 

 parts of the turn-out that remained together went on a journey 

 of their own — describing a parabola at about right angles to the 

 original line of flight. The girths had parted in the effort of 

 the jump. It is a matter of wonder that this does not more 

 often happen. People treat themselves to new stirrup leathers 

 pretty often — partly because they show sufficiently to speak 



