LUCY GLITTERS. 65 



a new horse, rather fresh, and kicked at other horses 

 sometimes. 



" ' But what an ugly horse it is, Mr. Jameson ! ' continued 

 Miss Mabel. ' Where and why did you buy it ? I suppose 

 it is a very good horse, though ? ' 



" ' Don't you know this is the horse that Mr. Jameson 

 has bought to win the Cup with, Miss Manby ? ' chimes in 

 Burton. ' It's not a wonder to look at, certainly.' Burton 

 gives three hundred guineas apiece for his horses, and dare 

 not ride them over a sheep hurdle. But fortunately further 

 conversation was stopped by old Streamer's note in covert, 

 proclaiming a find ; another and another chimes in to 

 swell the chorus ; then Sir John's cheery voice is heard 

 callino- to his hounds, and a minute later a shrill scream 

 from the first whip announces the fox's departure. 



"Anxious, as usual, to get away on good terms with 

 the hounds, I dashed my heels into Lucy Glitters' flanks, 

 and a moment later found myself lying on my back in 

 the mud and gazing up at the sky. The mare had 

 resented my impetuosity, and had promptly kicked me over 

 her head, amid a roar of laughter from Burton and others, 

 while even Miss Manby could not refrain from a smile. 

 Strange to say, she made no endeavour to get away, and 

 allowed me to mount her without any hostile demonstration. 

 By the time I reached the gate at the bottom of the ride 

 there was a tremendous crush, of course, but young Maltby, 

 the farmer, who was just in front of me, sent his four- 

 year-old at the fence a few yards from the gate, and 

 popped over neatly, an example quickly followed by Lucy 

 Gutters, whether I would or not, and she cleared both 

 fence and ditch beyond in splendid style. 



" 'Twas a pretty sight that now presented itself. The 

 pack were skimming like white-winged gulls over a sea of 

 grass, racing with a breast-high scent ; about a dozen 



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