THE SPORTSMAN IN FRANCE. 67 



two successful ditch -jumpers, pushed on 

 after me, while those who had not been so 

 fortunate as to cross the intervening bar- 

 rier made a circuit in the hope of joining 

 us. In the meanwhile, the boar kept 

 going at a racing pace, under the slope of 

 some rising ground, in view the whole 

 time, and the scene was highly animat- 

 ing ; the dogs were running breast high, 

 and in full chorus. We met with some 

 rails and hurdles, and a few dry ditches, 

 which were by no means formidable, and 

 the horses took them well- 



The animal I was on made one mistake 

 at a gate, and rolled over with me, but 

 I was lucky enough to escape with only 

 a slight bruise, and having been so for- 

 tunate as not to lose my reins, re- 

 mounted, and got well through the day 

 without any further accident. 



Our field was a small one ; it consisted 

 for some time of only Captain P , 



