356 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



There is a little group of horsemen collected around 

 an object lying on the turf, about half a mile below, 

 and that object is the prostrate body of George 

 Tracy. He was riding into the finish cheerfully and 

 carelessly, when, on stepping on what appeared to 

 him as firm turf as any before crossed, his horse 

 floundered and fell, throwing him heavily, and roll- 

 ing over him. Coventry sprang instantly to his 

 assistance, picked him up, and was endeavouring to 

 administer a dose of aqua vitce from his flask, when 

 Colonel Hamilton reached the spot. 



" What has happened ?" he asked, quickly. 



" Tracy is, I fear, seriously hurt,^^ was Sam^s 

 reply; "quite stunned, — and I can^t bring him 

 round.^^ 



" Let me try, then, whilst you ride for a surgeon; 

 there are two out with the hounds." 



" By all that^s lucky," cried Sam, ^^ here is Mr. 

 Danvers just coming up, who is as clever at this 

 sort of thing as in crossing country after hounds." 



The doctor was soon out of his saddle, and kneel- 

 ing by Tracy^s side, feeling for his pulse, and exa- 

 mining his body. 



*' Concussion of the brain, colonel, and, to add to 

 his misery, a broken collar-bone." 



^'"What can be done ?" asked the colonel. 



" We must get him down to the nearest inn as 

 soon as possible — better to a farmhouse, where there 

 would be less disturbance.'^ 



" He shall be taken to my house, doctor, which is 

 not far distant, and fortunately my carriage is on 

 the ground somewhere. I will go for it directly." 



