138 Hark Away, 



and riding through the rus.set-brown tnfted grass, in 

 an instant a good hare jumped up close to the 

 hounds, and we race her away for some distance, 

 part of the time in view, running for fifteen minutes 

 over these beautiful downs. Beyond us is New- 

 haven, and the sea glitters in the bright sunlight 

 between the storms, which pass rapidly over us, the 

 bold headland standing out grandly, with a dark 

 background of heavy clouds, lighted up by occasional 

 gleams of sunshine. 



By no means sorry that we had come to a check 

 was I, as my steed had gone a rattler up hill and 

 down dale, evidently desirous of occupying a front 

 place, resenting any undue interference, consequently 

 T was fain to let him have his own way, and he 

 carried me safely down the steep hills, which, if I 

 had interfered with his going, might not have been 

 the case. I observed several men who are in the 

 habit of riding over the downs dismounting, and 

 leading their horses, and I felt disposed to follow 

 their example, but having recently had some practice 

 in climbing steep places in Devon, I stuck to my 

 horse, and rode him straight down from the top to 

 the bottom, the proper way to descend steep hills, 

 though it requires some small amount of nerve when 

 the descent is equivalent to the side of a house, 

 or thereabouts. But we had not done with our 

 second hare yet ; whilst I was noting the beautiful 

 scenery, the hounds picked up the scent, and went 

 away again for ten minutes at a fair hunting pace, 

 then, coming to a check in a patch of gorse, they 

 puzzled the line out inch by inch. A wild storm 

 cloud passed over us, which appeared to destroy 



