THE FOUR MEN IN PINK Ty^'] 



are dwarf foxhounds with draft hounds from the Union Pack), 

 being laid on could make nothing of it, which was not to be 

 wondered at seeing that the fallows were as hard and dry as 

 brickbats and the state of the ground made one quake for a 

 valuable horse. 



So we proceeded at a foot's pace towards Good Easter, 

 many despairing of a run, but I tried to keep up their spirits 

 and my own by saying that the hind would probably wait for 

 us and that when we came up with her and the hounds got a 

 view we should be able to go ; and so it proved, for after five to 

 ten minutes of this slow work we dropped on her in a bush and 

 went away at score in view, pointing first to the right and then 

 making a short double to the left, across some very awkward, 

 and in many places impracticable fences. Over anxious, I 

 started with them to the right and lost considerable distance by 

 the sudden turn which was all in favour of the quieter and more 

 prudent individuals who had remained on the left, and got a 

 good start. Frank Barker, on a surprisingly clever colt only 

 three years old, but i6^ hands high, unfortunately touched in 

 his wind, went away with the lead and rode admirably through- 

 out the day as if he had been on a trained hunter. Sam Reeve, 

 on his clever chestnut, soon joined him and then followed in 

 various order, but the foremost always a field or two behind 

 the leaders, F. Petre on his large brown mare. Captain Tower 

 on a fine old white horse of Follet's, Blomfield on his clever 

 Irish mare, W. Kortwright on his brown mare, these four being 

 in pink ; with Thomas Helme on his brown horse, Coope, 

 Wm. Barker, Dan the whip, and various others, in places 

 varying according to their luck and pluck. 



When I had surmounted the awkward fence which my turn 

 to the right had let me in for, and got into the line of hounds, I 

 found I had a terrible distance to make up, for I could not see 

 the leading riders, let alone the leading hounds. However, I 

 knew " Wide A wake's ' powers as well as his foibles, and there- 

 fore keeping my eye steadily on the leading rider, who was 

 visible to me, I rode perfectly straight for him, turning as he 

 turned and prevented " Wide Awake " from what he so much 

 desired, hanging after the other horses, whom I kept steadily 

 passing in succession. By so doing I rapidly gained ground 

 and made up for my bad start, and sooner than I should have 

 anticipated, found myself in a meadow with the four men in 

 pink only half the length of the field in advance of me, causing 

 me to think that the pinks were showing well in the run, as they 

 certainly looked well in the sunshine. 



When gallantly charging the fence out of the meadow, two 



