34 FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



happened to me that I have imagined that I saw 

 misafe ground on the contrary side of a fence; and 

 while in the air, in taking the S2)ring to clear what 

 was ojoen and evident, I have caused my horse, by 

 the 2^Tessure of my knee, not the spiir^ a slight lift 

 of the rein, and a monosyllable, or Avhispcred Avord, 

 which can only be spelt '' whist," uttered sharph', 

 to .spread out his shoulders and clear a yard or 

 more of the suspected ground. At times it might 

 be necessary, at times not. 



Brutus and Jack o'Lantern both understood 

 how to meet a fence they could not cover, 

 and so, of course, do thousands of other hunters 

 when in good hands. At a double post and rail, 

 Brutus, if there was no going in and out, and it 

 was too wide to comjoass in a stroke, would land in 

 the firmest way imaginable Avith his feet under the 

 off-rail, and bring his splendid fore-arms witli sucli 

 a shock against the u])per bar as to start it out, 

 either broken or unbroken, into the field beyond, 

 and so get over without a fall. 



Many of the men hunting with the staghounds 

 near London in the jn-esent day will have seen a very 

 wide '' haha," dry^ l)ut steep in its banks^ divide 

 ing the land whicli was olice known as liar- 



