THE SHIRES. 243 



after fence is thrown behind the happy pair with a 

 sensation like flying that seems equally gratifying to 

 both. The ground is soft but sound enough ; the leaps, 

 though large, are fair and clean. One by one they are 

 covered in light, elastic bounds, of eighteen or twenty 

 feet, and for a mile, at least, the King scarcely alters 

 his action, and never changes his leg. Young Rapid 

 would ask no better fun than to go on like this for a 

 week. 



Once he has a narrow escape. The fox having turned 

 short up a hedgerow after crossing it, the hounds, though 

 running to kill, turn as short, for which they deserve the 

 praise there is nobody present to bestow, and Rapid, 

 charging the fence with considerable freedom, just misses 

 landing in the middle of the pack. I know it, because 

 he acknowledged it after dinner, professing, at the same 

 time, devout thankfulness that master and huntsman 

 were too far off to see. Just such another turn is made 

 at the next fence, but this time on the near side. The 

 hounds disappear suddenly, tumbling over each other into 

 the ditch like a cascade. Peering between his horse's 

 ears, the successful rider can distinguish only a confused 

 whirl of muddy backs, and legs, and sterns, seen through 

 a cloud of steam ; but smothered growls, with a certain 

 vibration of the busy cluster, announce that they have 



R 2 



