Mr. Digby Collins 



lane the whip (Wm. Boxall) dropped over the fence into it ; 

 and, though I tried hard to avert a collision, there was not 

 sufficient room, and she flew over his horse's neck, dragging 

 one rein out of his hand. 



Having this proof of her jumping powers, when I saw the 

 hounds streaming along about half a mile ahead, over an 

 easy line of country, I decided to endeavour to ride up to 

 them on either side of their line, as the country might appear 

 more favourable for the mare. 



She took every fence, as it came, at top speed ; and all 

 would have gone well, if the hounds had not checked and 

 endeavoured to carry the line straight across me. 



Luckily, she was in front of their heads and was going- 

 straight for the Shrewsbury and Wellington road, not far 

 from Atcham Bridge. 



The fence into the road was a rather low, but wide, double 

 post and rails, guarding a quick-set hedge, and I felt that 

 this would be my undoing, if not the mare's ; so I, foolishly, 

 pulled my feet out of the stirrups, kept my hands down and 

 sat still, and with much misgiving awaited the issue. 



To my astonishment, without slackening her speed, she 

 made a fine jump, kept her shoulders well back, dropped 

 her hind feet into the middle of the fence, flew into the road, 

 out on the other side, and headed straight for the Severn, 

 the exact position of which I knew well. I used every 

 endeavour to lessen her speed and to turn her ; but, having 

 discarded my stirrups, I was unable to do either. Luckily, 

 when she saw the river she tried to stop, and slipped up 

 on her side, and enabled me to roll off close on the bank 

 of the river. 



To remount her was out of the question ; so I led her 

 into the road and decided to walk with her all the way — 



151 



