164 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



from four to six feet high. We had been running at 

 a good pace nearly two hours, with only one check 

 of about ten minutes, and the old boy's place was 

 as near the tail of the hounds as he could possibly 

 keep, when, pushing his horse a little too sharp at 

 one of these walls, down they came both together. 

 The old fellow not half an hour before had been 

 chaffing a neighbour who had been in the same 

 predicament, and, expecting a retort, slyly drew his 

 knife out of his pocket, and when asked by his 

 friend, who came to his assistance, whether he was 

 hurt, replied, " Nought at all, bairn, nought at all ; 

 I only stooped to pick up my knife." And for years 

 it was a by-word when any one had a fall, " What, 

 have you dropped your knife ? " However, the pro- 

 verb says, " Any excuse is better than none." ; 



The youngsters, as a rule, laugh at their own 

 misfortunes as well as those that happen to others. 

 Punch used to have splendid illustrations, by John 

 Leech, of fox-hunting boys, and one of them must 

 have been the youth next to be noticed : 



' During the recent Christmas holidays a school- 

 boy was out with the North Pytchley, of which pack 

 Fred Percival, of hereditary fame, is the efficient 

 huntsman. Landing over an awkward fence, his 

 horse made a nasty "peck," shooting Fred out of 

 the saddle ; but, after frantic efforts, he struggled 

 back into the pigskin. The youngster looking on 

 laughed loud and long, upon which the huntsman 



