The Leather Plater. 293 



ourselv^es alone in a large grass pasture surrounded by a bullfinch, 

 through no part of which any horse in the world could possibly 

 force his way. There were but two really practicable places 

 in the whole line of fence — the gate over which we had come into 

 tlie field, and four stiffish rails in the corner, under a haystack, out 

 of it. I knew this field well, for I had once been pounded here 

 before. The captain had the gate first, and, without turning to see 

 me come over, lie sent his horse on at a thundering pace down a 

 straight dry ride, evidently meaning to have the bullfinch at the 

 bottom. As soon as I was over the gate I slanted my horse to the 

 right for the rails in the corner, as I knew that was the only way 

 out of the field. Of course by this I lost ground, but I was not 

 half-way across the field before I saw the captain take a pull at his 

 horse : he was now evidently watching me, and I fancy, even at 

 that distance, did not half like the looks of the bullfinch which 

 stared him in the face. I went hand-over-hand at the rails, which 

 the captain had now spied, and turning his horse towards me, we 

 raced down to them. The old swarth was sound^ and capital gal- 

 loping. I got to them first, and catching my horse tight by the 

 head, was just beginning to drive at them, when he suddenly shied 

 at a boy who at that very minute rose from the bottom of 

 the haystack, where he had been lying. The horse, however, 

 could not balk the rails altogether, but he rose too near, and 

 breasting them, we came over into the next field all in a heap ; and 

 as I lay on my back — to use a favourite phrase of my poor old 

 friend Tom Heycock — " I had an excellent opportunity of seeing 

 the sun, moon, and stars in full illumination." The horse was a 

 good deal shaken, for I was up first. I was not stunned, although 

 very " dizzy like 3" for I remember as I lay the captain cleared the 

 rails gallantly to my right, and his derisive laugh as he went sailing 

 on to catch the hounds, which were now turning again towards us, 

 did not improve my temper, which was already rather ruffled by thi» 

 fall. I picked myself together as well as I could, and got the horse 

 on his legs ; he was so lame in the shoulder that he could scarcel}/ 

 go. Luckily we were close to a farm lodge, and I knew the farmer 



