MEET OF THE PYTCHLEY HOUNDS. 151 



on the other side, but all nearly simultaneously had landed 

 in an artificial bog beyond it, made for draining purposes 

 only a few days before, and in which the six men and 

 the six horses, each perfectly unhurt, are now as prostrate 

 and as " comfortable " as if they had, to use the old nurse's 

 expression, "just been put to bed." The Hon. Fred. 

 Villiers and Harry Everard are the first over and down. 

 As they lie together in the mud, looking upwards, they 

 see coming over the stakes of the hedge the Fitzwilliam 

 girths of the horses of Henry Forrester and Thomas 

 Atkinson ( Vive L'Empereur /), followed almost instantly 

 by two strangers. However, nearly as quickly as they 

 all fell, they severally arise, mount their horses, and 

 gallantly regain the hounds. The field of riders, unable 

 to comprehend what has happened, and moreover unable 

 as well as unwilling to stop their horses, as it were 

 by word of command, all gracefully swerve together in 

 a curve to the right to take two stiff fences instead 

 of one. About half a dozen, on perfect timber-jumpers, 

 cross a ditch overhung by a stout ash rail, firmly fixed 

 between two trees ; the remainder break their way through 

 a bull-finch, and then, throwing their right shoulders 

 forward, at a very honest pace, all make every proper 

 effort to catch Charles Payne and the few others who 

 with him had followed the line of the hounds. 



We should certainly tire and jolt our readers very 

 grievously were we to presume to hustle them through 



