114 The Hunting Field With Horse and Hound 



the dreaded "Seven Gullies." Our Master sees another flock of 

 sheep all looking in one direction, he hears the jay birds jaw- 

 ing like fish wives in the wood beyond. The crows also are 

 collecting there like turkey buzzards to help "do" the outlaw 

 of the wood. Seven Gullies is Reynard's point. Now friend, 

 harden your heart and ride to save your horse, for a trial of 

 strength and endurance beyond estimate lies before you. 



What's to be done ? The signs of a travelling fox on yonder 

 hill make it certain that we are in for it up to our eyes. Between 

 riders and their game lies the Caneseraga river, a most difficult 

 water to cross. It is three to four rods wide, runs silent and 

 deep between precipitous banks of alluvial deposit. No shal- 

 lows nor bridge for a mile or more either way. Now, lads, you 

 may come along, for away sails the INIaster, lifting the hounds 

 smartly on along the dreaded Caneseraga. Sure enough the 

 leading hound along the river bank is madly feathering. "Ding- 

 dong," goes her tongue, every hound turns to her cry, as they 

 race away along the bank. Then halting suddenly they make 

 their own cast back and one, two, three at a time, throw them- 

 selves headlong down the bank and are swimming for the 

 opposite shore. It is good ten feet from the turf to the water, 

 but there is no time to question where or how. Down goes one 

 rider, another follows hard after. Other places are found in 

 the yielding bank and in less than five minutes the creek had 

 troubled waters and the riders troubled hearts, for the tallest 

 horses could just wade across and keep their heads above water. 

 A plucky farmer's son riding a roan pony, that goes completely 

 under water as he enters the stream, is now swimming for it. 

 Our boots are filling with water in spite of our best effort to 

 hold them above it. But cheer up, the worst is yet to come. 

 Although the opposite bank is not so steep, the miry condition 

 of the soil makes it almost impossible for horses to take their 

 riders out, but their blood is up and away go the horses and 

 riders, dripping like sheep at a river washing. It is plain to 



