LETTER XXVII. 291 



keep as good places as themselves, proves a w^ant of fair 

 rivalry. Riding against another, merely for the lead, is 

 a childish piece of folly. I have ridden with many hard 

 and good riders in my time, but never against them, and, 

 if they got falls, I v^ould stop to help them up again, 

 and they would do the same by me. 



I had once the misfortune, however, to displease d 

 first-rate performer, by getting a good start with the 

 hounds, which he did not. He came rattling after us, 

 at a tremendous rate, to recover his place, which he con- 

 sidered it, as first man, and as we had been going very 

 fast for about three miles, over a stifily enclosed country, 

 his horse was blown in making up leeway, and the first 

 thing T saw of my furious friend was, upon hearing a 

 crash behind me, to behold him on his back in the field, 

 with his horse's hind legs in the ditch. I turned round, 

 and asked him if he was hurt ? " Hurt !" he said, ** I 

 am not often hurt." That was true enough, for no man 

 had more falls without being hurt than himself. He 

 was soon in the saddle, having held the rein in his hand, 

 which most men who ride for a fall do. A brook being 

 just then before us, he went down at it, a hundred miles 

 an hour pace, with a sneering cheer to me — " Now come 

 along, we are even again." I merely laughed at his bad 

 humour, and was soon over alongside of him. He then 

 rode up hill as hard as he could go, at some stiff" posts 

 and rails. Crash went the top bar, and over rolled horse 

 and rider together. I thanked him for letting me 

 through so easily. He angrily replied that he was not 

 yet beaten, and, mounting again, charged a five-barred 

 gate leading into a turnpike-road. This was a settler. 

 His horse fell over, and threw his rider with great 



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