52 Mr. Matthew Wilkinson as a horseman. 



in the stell ; and secondly, it was a great treat to me to see 

 Matty Wilkinson and his chestnut horse get over, or I should 

 rather say creep over, upwards of a hundred fences in the very 

 masterly fashion they both performed. He has ridden this 

 horse three seasons without having had a fall from him ; and 

 when I saw him creeping over his fences, which appeared 

 nothing to him, whilst my horse was flying over them, and 

 afraid to touch a thorn, I almost envied his great weight. 

 Certain, however, is it, that hunters carrying heavy men do 

 walk into their fences in a most enviable manner, although, 

 indeed, if they did not walk into them, they could never gallop 

 across a deep country for an hour, and a hundred fences in the 

 bargain. 



" I really was much pleased with the scientific manner in 

 which Mr, Wilkinson and his horse crossed the country in this 

 hour's gallop. We exchanged but few words with one another 

 — with the exception of his telling me he was too heavy for a 

 huntsman, and an occasional lamentation of our ill-luck. 

 Matty, however, once addressed his horse and it had the 

 desired effect. We came to a very awkward fence, a wide ditch 

 from us, and no footing for our horses but among some strong 

 stubs. ' Tak' time, lad,' said Matty. The lad did take time 

 and did it like a workman. Towards the end of our gallop we 

 came to another still worse place. It was high and stiff and 

 near to a tree. Matty rode up to it, and, not liking it, stood 

 looking at it. ' Shall I try and pull down those strong 

 binders,' I said. ' No, no,' replied Matty, 'we'll gang at it,' 

 and over he went at a good hard gallop. All his fences but 

 this were taken either at a stand or in a walk. 



" This certainly was a good run, and a good finish, and 

 the brush was asked for by a gentleman (Mr. Dryden, I think) 



