554 FOX-ROUND, FOREST, AND PRAIRIE. 



glass (and hence, one may assume, his exquisite simplicity, that 

 allowed him to be construed at sight). But — to continue to 

 balance pro and con — these infernal station doors had not even 

 a looking-glass. They were blind and deaf. " Tell you what, 

 old fellow, you are two years younger than I am ; you must 

 just swarm the spiked gate out of the coal yard." " Sir, you 

 are frivolous," responded the junior. " I'll bet you a City dinner 

 that you can't, whatever you might have done forty years ago." 

 " We can't sleep among the coal trucks," said the senior hotly. 

 " Give me your shoulders and I'll try." So they united forces, 

 and years. Senior left his coat on one side, and half his 

 overalls on the top bar, but went away with a lead, — only to 

 spend thirty minutes in full cry outside their common hostelry. 

 Junior was then rescued in such plight as coal dust and a 

 solitary ducking allowed — and the bar was fully and cheerfully 

 represented next morning at Woodford. Whether the impend- 

 ing; suit against L. and N.W.R. comes on for hearing or not, 

 depends much upon whether it be set down for chambers or not : 

 for the outer world is to have no such cheap fun — from legal 

 resources. But the incident has already been accepted as a 

 grave warning to hunting bachelors, not to spend their Sunday, 

 too confidently, in London-town. 



Tuesday, with the North Warwickshire at Dunchurch, was a 

 strong contrast with its recent predecessor — a contrast of ride 

 and a contrast of weather. There was every opportunity and 

 occasion of jump ; and, when hounds were running, the more 

 ravenous of the party spent no small proportion of their time in 

 the air. The initial velocity of a body set in motion into space, 

 has, if I remember right, much to do, not only with the distance 

 it will cover, but with the period during which it will support 

 itself in mid air. Given, then, a free horse, very little friction 

 indeed between seat and saddle, a voluntary departure, and a 

 broad road on the landing side — how many seconds will it take 

 an average twelve-stone man to play the flying-fox across, and 

 reach the further turf on his back ? No answer — then we will 

 leave the question for future solution — and on the next occasion 



