THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 45 



At the outset Mr. Binkie, owing either to a naturally 

 retiring disposition, or the fact that some of his newborn 

 confidence in his horse had been just a little upset by 

 sundry shakes of the head, and snatches at the bridle when 

 hounds found, had endeavoured to keep himself as much 

 as possible in the background. He had already lost sight 

 of his two friends, who, as a matter of fact, had both 

 forgotten their promise of ' keeping an eye ' on their host, 

 and gone away in the ruck ; and his one great desire was 

 to keep out of the crowd and avoid, by every means in 

 his power, any obstacle exceeding a foot in height. That 

 Travers Algernon Binkie, and Travers Algernon Binkie's 

 horse, were not in strict accord in this matter, was certainly 

 a thing to be deplored, and though, up to this point, the rider 

 had, somehow, contrived to control the ridden, ' Trousers ' 

 was now being eloquently warned that such a state of affairs 

 could continue no longer. The headshakings, borings, and 

 reachings, grew more and more emphatic, as Marmion by 

 Capulet, realized that his compeers were passing him and 

 rapidly going away, until at last, after a threat at rearing, 

 with a wild snatch at the reins, which almost pulled his 

 rider over his head, away he went ' as if the Devil had 

 kicked him.' Blinded by the tears which streamed down 

 his cheeks from the pace at which they were going, Binkie 

 found himself within three lengths of the black-looking thorn 

 fence, almost before he had had time to realize his position. 

 With a hollow groan, he clutched at the pommel of his 

 saddle, and prepared to meet his fate. Although the horse 

 had bolted, the animal was by no means a fool, and instead 

 of charging the fence in the high part exactly opposite to 



