CHASING AND RACING 119 



It was whilst hunting with another pack my 

 neighbour the Hertfordshire that I nearly came to 

 an untimely end. I was riding a " bit of blood " 

 called The Fairy. She could gallop to a pretty tune, 

 and was a big and fearless fencer. With my light 

 weight she had the foot of the field, when hounds were 

 on the stretch. They swept over a small paddock, 

 bounded by a rather formidable fence, with such a big 

 drop that I could not, until I was in the air, see one 

 of the field, who had taken a short cut and was trying 

 to butt in and take an unfair advantage. My filly 

 landed right across the quarters of the other nag, so 

 that all four of us played roly poly together in a regular 

 " mix up." I felt the cantle of Fairy's saddle grind 

 right over my neck, which, luckily for my future, 

 failed to snap under the pressure, nor was the other 

 rider or his horse knocked out. We were soon going 

 again. Crossing a thirty-acre field there were two 

 flights of sheep hurdles to negotiate. The first I flew 

 comfortably enough, and then, to my horror, I went 

 stone blind. However, I stuck on, and my filly took 

 me over the second flight all right. Gradually my 

 sight returned. At first I could only see a pin's point 

 of light, but this widened until I seemed as if I were 

 looking through binoculars. Finally, normal vision 

 asserted itself, and I went on happily enough, to enjoy 

 a real good run, which ended in the fox being marked 

 to ground. Whilst giving my filly a well-earned 

 breather, the young fellow-my-lad who had got in my 



