THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



witnessing' the tine liorseniansliip and good judgment of Har- 

 grave, whom they selected as their pilot in as severe a country 

 as hounds often run oven-. In the hrst place, they had the 

 Kinghani brook to leap, and the Kingham tield to cross, which 

 none but good horses can do, and live with hounds when they 

 are going their best pace, as they did in the run I am alluding 

 to. And it told on the horses that crossed it on this day. It 

 reduced the number that started with the hounds to, at most, 

 one third ; and the field soon became, what in these days 

 is termed, ' most desirably select.' But the trial of trials was 

 yet to come. Tliere runs through this rich vale a brook called 

 the Evenload — connnonly called the Emload — which not more 

 than one man in twenty would ride at, in those dajs, nor wall 

 more than one man in ten get well over it in these. In fact, 

 it is, in many places, all but a stopper ; in all, a very serious 

 atiair for horses a little pumped out by the pace, the banks being 

 far from good, and the water both wide and deep. Now it so 

 happened that, by a lucky turn, Goodall, and a hard-riding parson 

 of that time, arrived first at the brook, and the parson took it 

 in his stroke. Neither did Goodall intend doing otherwise. 

 Taking a good pull at Pineapple (for such was his horse called, 

 in consequence of the deep scoring of his legs, b}" some merci- 

 less operator, with the tiring-irons) at about a hundred yards 

 from its banks, he sent him manfully at it, but by not extend- 

 ing himself far enough, he dropped short, and fell backwards, 

 with his rider under him, into the stream ! 



' He is in, by heavens,' exclaimed Hargrave, who saw the 

 mishap, ' and the parson has it all to himself.' 



' He'll be smothered,' said Frank Raby ; ' what's to be 

 done ? ' 



' Not he,' resumed Hargrave, ' lies dear of Ins Jtorse ; do you 

 go quick at the brook to the right, and I'll go to the left.' 



No sooner said than done ; both charged it and got over, 

 and six more of the field did the same thing; but it was a trial 

 of nerve to a young one to ride at a place of this description, 

 in which his friend and his horse were floundering, and within 

 twenty yards of him at the time. 



No one headed the parson, who kept the lead to the end, the 

 fox having sunk before the pack within a field of Bourton 

 Wood, the earths of which, being open, might perchance have 

 saved his life. 



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