200 " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



fox on the far side of the Whin, and we all had to hustle 

 along round the bottom corner to get to them as quickly 

 as might be. It was soon found that they were racing 

 away in glorious style. 



" They're going now, sir, aren't they ? " called out 

 Thatcher, the huntsman, to me. I remember him very 

 well, as also Tom Carr his predecessor. Both were rare 

 good men. 



The country was not very formidable, but the Master 

 was a good field ahead and would need a lot of catching. 

 There was no sign of the pace abating : it was simply 

 astonishing, and already there was very long tail to the 

 field, not caused as usual by obstacles, but simply by 

 want of sufficient speed. Before we had gone ten minutes 

 there were but thirteen or fourteen within hail. I was 

 there, for Longbow could gallop a bit and had run second 

 in one of the college " grinds " that year, but the Master 

 still showed the way, his horse having an extraordinary 

 turn of speed for such a heavy one. 



The line was now over the grassland along the side of 

 the River Swale. It was capital going, but a trifle heavy, 

 as it lies low and has to be fenced off from the river by a 

 high embankment. Hounds were now stretching away, 

 sterns down and nearly mute. The Master seemed to be 

 coming back to his field at last, but it was really because 

 he was in momentary doubt about his line. Suddenly I 

 saw him diverge at right angles and gallop away as hard 

 as he could in the direction of the Swale embankment. 



That he had good and sufficient reason for doing this 

 I did not for a moment doubt, so followed him at once. 

 One of the Whips followed me, but Thatcher and all the 

 rest of the field went straight on after hounds. 



The Master gained the top of the Swale embankment, 

 which is not over five feet wide there, but gets gradually 

 broader towards its base, and he cantered gaily along this 

 eminence fully fifteen feet above the level of the sub- 

 jacent ground. I and the Whip pursued, scarce knowing 

 what to think, but on reaching the top I saw, with some 



