THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



tlieiii. Sir Joliii led tlie way, followed by three more, when 

 Frank cleared it, with a good yard to spare, sticking to his 

 horse as tightly as if he had been strapped to his saddle ; and 

 this was, without doubt, the happiest moment of his existence. 

 He had taken a dangerous leap, which several of the field 

 declined ; he saw a fine country before him, with his friend in 

 the same field with the hounds, and only one field in advance 

 of himself :— ' I'll go till I fall,' said he to himself, and 

 strictly did he keep his word. Fence after fence was cleared 

 by him, in the company of a chosen few ; but, as yet, he had 

 not been observed by Sir John Inkleton. An accidental 

 occurrence discovered him. The fence exactly in Sir John's 

 line being impracticable from its height and strength, he was 

 obliged to diverge to his right, to one corner of the field, 

 where the generality of fences are practicable ; when, sailing 

 away on the headland, he espied Frank Raby approaching. 

 There was no time for words, the chase being forward at the 

 moment, and some lost time to be made up ; so putting 

 Petronius at some rails, he was landed in the next field, with 

 the hounds in the one beyond it. When in the act of clearing 

 these rails, however, he saw under him a ditch, of enormous 

 depth and breadth, and, fearing that Frank's mare might not 

 be equal to it, he waved his hand to him, as a signal not to 

 attempt it. The signal w^as made in vain ; Frank rode at it, 

 and cleared it, with only the momentary loss of a stirrup. 

 Sir John began to feel alarm. ' What will Mr. Raby — what 

 will Lady Charlotte say to me,' muttered he to himself, ' if 

 this boy meets with an accident ? Still, what is to be done ? 

 I cannot lose my place with the hounds ; and I doubt whether 

 anything I may say to him will stop him.' 



Onward they went, over a very deep vale, with a breast- 

 high scent, taking fences high and stift', and many of the field 

 shaken ofi'. At length they approached the Stark, according 

 to Sir John's prediction; and it was apparent to those who 

 knew the country for some time before they came close to it, 

 by the large willow-trees on its banks, whose flourishing con- 

 dition showed that they were luxuriating in the soil which 

 best suits them — a black bog. 



' Now what is to be done here ? ' said Sir John, once more, 

 to himself ; and he had the lead of the field at the time. ' / 

 will have it just where yonder blackthorn-bush is growing on 



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