SCENES FROM THE SADDLE. 



new light. Its direction and twistings and junctions bring up 

 suggestions as to its history, and the date of its enclosure is 

 suggested by the age of its hedges and hedgerow timber. Many 

 roads have been originally trodden out in the lines of least 

 resistance by beast or man at a far prehistoric date, and those 

 leading to a river ford may be pictured as having an age equal 

 to that of man himself. 



Kunning in the same track for centuries the narrower lanes 

 and byeways tend to cut deep into the surface, especially in 

 hilly parts, where the road track forms a natural water- channel 

 in wet weather. Along the sides of most lanes there may be 

 seen indications that the track has varied from time to time, 

 probably before the lane was definitely enclosed. It is a far 

 cry to the Roman and pre-Roman roads from the slippery tar- 

 macadamised highway of the present day, but to the rider the 

 more he can tread the unimproved highways of the past and 

 avoid the present the more pleasure he has in his journey. 



Every old village has its charm. The rider, unlike the 

 motorist, has time to notice details. There is much specula- 

 tion to be had as to the date of individual houses from shape of 

 their bricks, their differing thickness and colour ; as to which 

 of them may originally have come from abroad as the ballast of 

 boats returning from exporting grain and hides. Beyond their 

 possible name-termination of " ton " or " bury " in its various 

 forms, or other terminations indicating the stockaded place, all 

 village names must have an origin of more or less interest. Of 

 their past strength nothing may now be visible, but a hardly 

 discernible indication of a moated earthwork half hidden by 

 farm buildings, but still sufficient to re-picture the past. 



The rider when passing through the countryside, even if it 

 be a district of small farms averaging less than a hundred 

 acres, finds it strangely empty of human life, either in the 

 villages, on the roads, or in the fields. 



Into the midst of quietness fox-hunting brings a passing 

 flash of colour, life, and excitement, and the feeling of the 

 countryside is undoubtedly entirely favourable to it, and 



7 



