290 IRiMng IRecoUections anb TLwvt Stones 



"If they only keep on running like this for 

 another quarter of an hour or twenty minutes, 

 you will want some of that powder left." 



So it happened ; for we went just past Adam's 

 Gorse, straight on for Twyford, leaving it just on 

 the right, in and out of the road, over the Twyford 

 Brook — rather a nasty place, which Sir Frederick's 

 hunter got over with a scramble. By this time his 

 horse was feeling the effects of the pace, and I had 

 gone in front of him to keep near the hounds, as the 

 fences are very big just about there, and it does not 

 do to let hounds get out of your sight, especially as 

 we had so few. After the brook we went up a 

 slight hill, and were faced by a gate, which I saw was 

 chained up, and a stiff stile with a footboard by the 

 side of it. Sir Frederick called out, " All right, 

 Custance, there is plenty of time," thinking I should 

 get off to open the gate, but there was no time for 

 this, so over went 'The Doctor,' never touching it. 

 Not so with my companion, as his horse hit it very 

 hard all round, but got over with a scramble. 



On we went towards John o' Gaunt, but turned to 

 the right just as we leaped into the road that runs 

 from Merfield to Loseby. I looked round, and 

 there I saw Sir Frederick's horse standing per- 

 fectly still, dead -beaten. He had made his last 



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