150 THE HOESE AND HIS EIDER. 



Charles Payne's horn are instantly heard, while his hounds, 

 tumbling over each other, jump almost together over a 

 small hedge and ditch out of the covert, with their 

 beautiful heads all pointing towards Leicestershire. As 

 they and reynard take the opposite side of the large 

 grass field in which the riders had assembled, the start 

 of the latter is very nearly as sudden as that of the former. 

 Packed together ahuost as closely as the wild young crea- 

 tures that on Epsom course run for the Derby, the best 

 men and the best horses belonging to the Pytchley, Quorn, 

 Cottesmore, and Warwickshire hounds start together over 

 turf down a gentle declivity, at the bottom of which runs 

 an insignificant stream. Steady horsemanship in every 

 rider is necessary to prevent treading on those imme- 

 diately before, or jostling those on each side. Many a 

 horse, by shaking his head, clearly enough shows how 

 unwelcome to him is the restraint. From this conglo- 

 meration nearly a dozen men extricate themselves by 

 the superior speed and management of their horses. 

 Before them* is a well-known broad and strong fence, 

 which, without competing against each other, they most 

 gallantly charge, " magna comitante caterva," followed 

 by the great ruck. One, — two, — three, — four, — five, — 

 six men and horses take it almost too^ether in their 

 stride, and, to the astonishment of the remainder, all 

 disappear ! Every horse had well cleared the broad ditch 



* This scene we happened to witness. 



