374 RIDINC; TO IIOl^NDS 



nothing so low as to be running after one's liorse, CL-ying out, 

 " Catch my horse ! pray cateli my horse ! " 



When we come to retiect, however, it is astonishing how few- 

 persons out of the number that ride over a country are hurt by falls. 

 A good story is told on this subject of a hard-riding whipper-in, who 

 had had a great many falls in his time, but was never hurt in any of 

 them. One unlucky day, however, his horse fell w'ith him, and, 

 rolling him as a cook would a pie-crust, nearly flattened all the 

 prominences of his body. Getting up, and limping after liim, he 

 was heard muttering to himself — " Well, 11020 I he hurt ! " There is 

 a picture at Mr. Corbet's, of Sundorn, of the famous Tom Moodij, 

 when whipper-in to Mr. Childe. He is represented in the act of 

 falling over some high park palings, and at the same time giving a 

 view-halloo to a fox that was sinking before his hounds. This is the 

 man, who, when he was run to ground himself, w^as carried to the 

 churchyard by six earth-stoppers, who, by his request, gave three 

 " rattling view-halloos " over his grave. 



If I were asked who it was that had shown tlie greatest contempt 

 for the consequence of a bad fall, that ever came under my observa- 

 tion, I should have no hesitation in saying, it was a gentleman by the 

 name of Stanhope, w^ho was on a visit to Sir Bellingham Graham, 

 when he hunted the Atherstone country. On the Friday his horsc^ 

 fell with him, and hurt his shoulder, but notliing was broken or 

 displaced. The consequence was, he came out on the following- 

 Monday with his arm in a sling. We found a fox in the finest part 

 of Sir Bellingham's Leicestershire countiy, and killed in fifteen 

 minutes, during which Mr. Stanhope was in a very good place. 

 Having had the pleasure of meeting him a few evenings before at 

 Sir Bellingham's, I, asked him if he did not find it very awkward to 

 ride with only one hand, when he assured me he found little 

 difficulty with the horse he was then riding, as he was so very 

 temperate, and had never given him a fall. " That is dangerous to 

 boast of," said I to him ; and here the conversation ended. We 

 found another fox, and had a fine run of an hour and ten minutes, 

 and killed. About the middle of it, we came to a brook, which we 

 all got well over with the exception of Stanhope, who unfortunately 

 pitching on a turn in the liank, and disdaining' to look, did not clear 



