CAPTAIN JOHN ORR-EWING 329 



anywhere, so we got over. Luckily, hounds had 

 gone no pace meanwhile, and dragged along into the 

 wrong country, of course, Lechlade way out of the 

 Vale. The chase now led us to the Thames, running 

 strong and high, only to be crossed by an unholy 

 white spar bridge near Hart's Weir. For once the 

 men and hounds managed to get over first, then came 

 Jim Rich and one or two of my Wiltshire friends, 

 burning to distinguish themselves. Jim's fool of a 

 horse slipped and got cast on the bridge, hind-leg 

 hitched through the spars ; all passage blocked. A 

 nice predicament for me and large and brilliant field ! 

 At first we gave the usual advice. " Take care ! " 

 " Look out ! " " Mind where you are going to ! " 

 His brother Charlie, again, on the right side, urging 

 him to shove the blooming horse into the river and 

 let him swim for it. Jim seemed to think it a good 

 joke, and if it had to happen it was as well it should 

 happen to a Rich. They have a talent for rescues 

 and emergencies, and are the sort of Deal fishermen 

 of the Beaufort Hunt. Meanwhile, there we all were. 

 After hoping against hope, I started magna comitante 

 caterva for the nearest bridge, four miles off. By this 

 time I was on William, and directly we got to the 

 high road we set off at a strong pace. The high road 

 had all the requisites — hard, wide, well kept, and no 

 grass siding to lure one off it. After galloping for 

 fifteen bright minutes or so we at last saw scarlet 

 specks bobbing about a mile away from us, half-right. 

 Thank heaven ! hounds looked as if they were only 

 just running. After some difficulty in persuading 

 William of my good intentions, for he fancied by this 

 time he was taking the good news from Bruges to 

 Ghent, I turned out of the road, with Sturges on his 

 white horse and two of the second horsemen, who had 

 kept " following on " with their usual dash ; the rest 

 of our party being beaten off by our superior dis- 



