14 A HUNTING CATECHISM 



the fence before me, I became conscious that the 

 horse in the distance had come to grief with its 

 rider, and both had disappeared into the ditch. 



All thoughts of taking the leap naturally 

 departed, until it was seen what the outcome of 

 the accident was going to be, and when the horse 

 alone came into view, struggling up the edge of 

 the ditch, I turned at once and galloped up to 

 the scene of the disaster. It was startling to find 

 a young lady floating on the surface, with her 

 face submerged, for up to then I had not noticed 

 whether the rider was a lady or a gentleman. 

 She made no movement, and springing off my 

 horse, I jumped into the water, and endeavoured 

 to lift her up, but her own weight was so added 

 to by the saturated habit I could do no more than 

 keep her half raised out of the water. A gossoon, 

 however, came running up, having seen me gallop 

 off to what he intuitively guessed was "grief," 

 and therefore not to be missed on any account, 

 and our united exertions soon sufficed to get our 

 charge safely on to terra firma. The first thing 

 was to loosen her collar. Then, to my intense 

 relief, another lady galloped up, having also 

 observed me hurry away from the direction the 

 field was going, and her assistance was most 

 valuable ; but we both became rather alarmed 

 since the patient showed no signs of life, not 

 even breathing, while only the very slightest 

 pulse could be felt at all. A suggestion of 

 whisky was at once acted upon, and some was 

 poured into her mouth as she lay on her back ; 

 and then had she been an Irish-" man," we 

 should have indeed been scared, since the whisky 

 just remained where it was poured, and no 

 attempt whatever was made to swallow it. 



