HOW IIENRV JOHN GOT HONH-: 175 



knows how, and kept three men busy ten minutes before " Henry Jolm " 

 was on. 



Having hghted our cigars and bidden our hospitable host "good- 

 night," we made a start at 9.30. Luckily, it was a moonlight night, and 

 everything went well for about a mile, when " Henry John," in a weak 

 moment, thinking his saddle was going faster forward than he could, 

 determined to alter it, and accordingly dismounted. But getting on again 

 was quite another thing, for the donkey refused to be mounted, so "C." 

 getting off, went to "Henry John's" rescue; but the donkey beat them 

 both, for he reared, kicked, and plunged as if he liked it, and even the 

 whisper of Broncho Charlie's magic name in his asinine ears did not quell 

 his spirits. 



After carrying " C." and " Henry John" across the road three or four 

 times, and nearly getting them into one of the deep ditches that ran on each 

 side, it was decided to lead him on until we came to a suitable field, and 

 here they had another struggle, eventually getting the donkey down. 

 " Henry John " triumphantly got astride him, and when the donkey strug- 

 gled to his feet, " Henry John " was on, and our procession then moved on 

 very comfortably until something prompted " Henry John " to come to the 

 front, when this wild, corn-fed ass set to work and kicked him off in the 

 middle of the road, with his head on the ground and his feet in the stirrups. 

 It looked anything but comfortable for " Henry John " ; but I am afraid 

 that " C." and I were so convulsed with laughter that we could not have 

 moved a finger to save his life. Luckily " Henry John " kicked himself 

 clear. The next move was to get the donkey up to a gate, and from this 

 coign of 'vantage " Henry John " managed to vault on, and never left the 

 pigskin again ; but it was a quarter to one in the morning before we 

 reached duke domuut. 



Riding a horse upon which Mr. Chisenhale Marsh had given me a 

 mount on Wednesday, March 27th, I dropped in for a very good gallop 

 from Mill Green to Swan Wood, Stock, in the Union country, a four-mile 

 point. At an early period of the run the horse Mr. C. E. Green was riding 

 negotiated a piece of timber on the top of a bank in a most extraordinarily 

 clever manner, and near the end of it Miss Jones had a narrow escape of 

 being badly hurt, for she was dragged some distance. 



This was quite a season for bye days ; we had another good one on 

 Monday, April ist, the rendezvous, Great Parndon. The sport briefly 

 summarised, a very good thirty-five minutes from a wood near Pinnacles, 

 killing in Parndon Woods ; repeating this, we killed near Weir-Hatches, 

 and hardly expecting to find again, dropped in for the best run of the lot. 

 From Gravel Pit Wood to Roydon brickfields, about a five-mile point, back 

 through Pinnacles and Parndon Hall, eventually whipping off near 

 Kingsmore House, no one but Mrs. Bennett, Mr. L. Arkwright, Mr. 

 Todhunter, and the Mate remaining for this last run. 



Swallows Cross, x\pril 4th, at 12 o'clock, another bye day and another 

 saw pit, when we had a very good run of about an hour, at a good pace 

 across the open from the High Woods to Stondon, and on to Mr. Fanes' 

 covert. A good many were thrown out at Parson's Springs, including 

 Messrs. Blackborne, G. Hart, Hargreaves ; Mr. Arkwright was well in it, 

 and followed Daily's lead over a saw pit at the end of the run. A fair 

 sprinkling of Essex Union men were out, and I fancy that they found the 

 pace quite fast enough for them. 



Another and final bye day in the Parndon country, on Wednesday, 

 April loth, was marked by a very fast twenty minutes from Roydon 

 brickfields to Parndon Hall. This ended one of the best seasons I ever 

 remember with the Essex hounds. 



