148 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



guard of awkward riders pass. I at once ranged 

 myself, I confess it, among the latter, for it was all 

 I could do to keep my saddle on such ground, and 

 while going at such a headlong pace. The horse 

 my friend had lent me for the occasion was, to listen 

 to him, as gentle as a lamb — it may be so ; but it 



. had too much the nature of the sheep of Panurge, 

 for, seeing the others leap, it constantly wished to 

 lea23 too. 



, ' I had, it is true, before my eyes, to encourage 

 me, the example of a fat farmer, who, in spite of his 

 weight, appeared to fear nothing. He bounded on 

 his saddle in a fearful manner at each leap his horse 

 attempted, and then, like a mountain upheaved by 

 an earthquake, he invariably fell on his base. 

 Though distanced by the vanguard of hunters, I 

 followed the chase sufficiently close to notice the 

 principal details. I saw the hounds run up a hill 5 

 their tongues, which floated in the breeze like red 

 rags, announced at the same time fatigue, ardour, 

 and a tliirst for blood. All at once they stojDped ; 

 the movement of their tails betrayed the anxiety 

 of having lost the fox. The huntsman, after con- 

 sulting the Avind, slightly changed the direction of 

 the jDa^ck, which brought it back towards me. At 

 the moment when the men were leaping over the 

 obstacles they had cleared just before, I distinctly 

 saw in the distance one of the sportsmen fall from 

 his horse while leaping a ditch, and as I did not see 



