4 THE MERRY GEE-GEE 



especially when hounds are running hard, 

 and you successfully negotiate the fence 

 in the corner of the field at which, had 

 you hesitated, your horse would probably 

 have blundered and fallen. 



Now, it so happened that on the very 

 next day after my return from New- 

 market just recorded, I drove over from 

 Melton Mowbray (where I now reside) 

 to Piper Hole (familiar name to all 

 Leicestershire hunting men) with a 

 young horse in my high brake, and 

 whilst standing there quietly enough 

 he suddenly took fright at some sound 

 or movement, and quick as thought 

 he commenced to kick and plunge as 

 if forty unclean spirits were inside him. 

 He turned the brake over and kicked 

 me as I was falling out, broke both 

 shafts off, tore the harness to smither- 

 eens, and made things hum pretty 



