232 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



creature comforts, than to any consideration he had for the 

 dumb animals which, unfortunately, came under his dominion. 

 He lost a valuable hunter by her not being up to the mark, and 

 she, poor thing, a hard master, with the sacrifice of her life. 

 Your humble servant had also a narrow escape from a ducking. 

 A sporting baronet, well-knowm at tlie "Corner" as a great 

 patron of the turf, and equally w^ell-know^n in the hunting-field 

 as a first-rate performer and stanch friend to hounds, was riding 

 with him and another " thrusting scoundrel," as my friend Bob 

 designated all hard riders. A stifi" and high bullfinch presented 

 itself, which the baronet and his friend, being both light weights, 

 declined encountering, taking their choice of the gate which led 

 out of the field. Not being over partial to timber jumping Avith 

 a blown horse, I preferred the chance of a good switching 

 through the quickset, to that of breaking the top bar of the 

 gate, with the additional prospect of a squelcher the other side, 

 and held my own course. As the baronet and his friend got upon 

 higher ground in riding for the gate, they ciiught sight of a 

 sweet purling brook on the other side of the fence I was going 

 at, but which to me on the flat w^as invisible. Some men never 

 spare their friends for the sake of making a good pun, and 

 others a bet. Instead of w^arning me of my danger, he coolly 

 turned round to his companion, and, just as I had put my horse 

 at the place, this exclamation greeted my ears, — " Ten to five he 

 don't clear it, — will you take it T The notice came too late for 

 me ; but I had time to take my feet out of the stirrups, and 

 prepare for the Avorst. My horse, although a capital brook 

 jumper, could not clear the brook and fence together, from not 

 being prepared for both, and his chest came dash against the 

 bank ; at the same instant, with the rein in my hand, I threw 

 myself over his neck; but the horse's head, in falling back, 

 struck me on the breast, and turned me right over on my back. 

 The bank inclining to the water's edge, I lay for a moment help- 

 less ; every movement I made diminishing my slippery position 

 on terra finna. At last, by an effort, I turned over on my face, and 

 at the expense of a dip to my shoulders, scrambled out. The 

 sporting baronet and his friend must have witnessed the whole 

 afi'air ; but their motto w^as, vestigia nulla retrorsum. We 

 were, however, all soon right, up, and at it again ; and none the 

 worse, either horse or rider, for this refresher. Upon lea\dng 

 the vale, we had to encounter a very steep and long hill, which 

 took the last pufi' out of our horses ; in fact, we w^ere all reduced 

 to a walk. The fox w^as in view before us. leisurely ascending 

 the steep side, and occasionally stopping and looking back. The 

 scent became worse, and the hounds w^ere absolutely hunting 



