THE DAY OF MY LIFE ! I25 



my old crock to jump water a foot wide. I think that 

 some time or another in his career he must have gone 

 near getting drowned, so great was his aversion to this 

 element. I was riding this horse one day, when I had the 

 misfortune to go sideways at a small fence at which Mr. 

 Tailby was riding straight, and we collided ; he apostrophized 

 me vehemently, and I've no doubt I richly deserved it. 

 Later on, however, on the same day, the whole field came 

 to a deadlock in the corner of a large meadow somewhere 

 near Medbourne, if I remember right. An inpregnable 

 bullfinch formed the right and left boundaries, and there 

 were six stiff new rails in the corner with rough black 

 stony soil on either side for taking off and landing. 

 Through these rails the hounds went full cry with a 

 burning scent, but not a soul would have them at any 

 price. Now, thought I, for ' death or glory.' ! So like 

 George Cheek in soapy sponge, I ' backed my Giraffe,' 

 and sent him at them for all I was worth. He topped 

 them beautifully, just touching one with his hind leg, and 

 for a brief space I experienced the delightful sensation 

 of having the hounds to myself. But it was not for long. 

 Mr. Tailby had alone remained to watch my performance, 

 and came after me. His horse hit the rails very hard, 

 I won't be sure that he didn't break one. As he passed 

 me, which he soon did, on a much fleeter steed, he 

 remarked, "Well done, Willoughby, I forgive you." You 

 can guess how elated I felt. He told my father about it 

 afterwards, saying, 'T couldn't be cut down by a boy, or 

 I'm d — d if I'd have had them." We were by ourselves 

 for two or three fields, when a check enabled the tail to 

 catch us up. But it was the day of my life ! 



It would probably be at the latter end of the sixties 

 that I had left the hounds rather early in the day, some- 

 where near Langton Caldwell, and was riding home down 

 the road which leads from Church Langton to the 

 Midland railway bridge. Suddenly I heard on my left 

 the familiar sound of hounds in full cry, and there sure 



