THE CHACE. 
Leicestershire men are careful, and the death-warrant 
of the little bay horse is signed. It is true he gets 
first to the gate, and has no idea of opening it ; sees it 
contains five new and strong bars, that will neither bend 
nor break ; has a great idea of a fall, but no idea of 
refusing ; presses his hat firmly on his head, and gets 
his whip hand at liberty to give the good little nag a 
refresher ; but all at once he perceives it will not do. 
When attempting to collect him for the effort, he finds 
his mouth dead and his neck stiff; fancies he hears some- 
thing like a wheezing in his throat ; and discovering 
quite unexpectedly that the gate would open, wisely 
avoids a fall, which was booked had he attempted to leap 
it. He pulls up, then, at the gate ; and as he places the 
hook of his whip under the latch, John White goes over 
it close to the hinge-post, and Captain Ross, upon Clinker, 
follows him. The Reviewer then walks through. 
The scene now shifts. On the other side of the 
lane is a fence of this description : it is a newly plashed 
hedge, abounding in strong growers, as they are called, 
and a yawning ditch on the other side ; but, as is 
peculiar to Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, a con- 
siderable portion of the blackthorn, left uncut, leans 
outwards from the hedge, somewhat about breast-high. 
This large fence is taken by all now with the hounds 
some to the right and some to the left of the direct 
line ; but the little bay horse would have no more of it. 
Snob puts him twice at it, and manfully too; but the 
wind is out of him, and he has no power to rise. 
