SOME HUNTING STORIES 215 



he certainly had, and found it a very good horse 

 and was surprised that she was not soothed. 



" Where then is your husband ? " that he could 

 not tell her. He supposed in Limerick. 



To a wail " Have they driven into a doctor ? " 

 he made no reply, but rode on again now rather 

 worried by Irish people. 



At this point Mr. Delmege was appealed to and 

 can^e up. 



" The lady says, sir, you're on her husband's 

 horse," he said. 



The reply was that no doubt he was and meant 

 to finish the day on it, even if it was a stolen horse 

 or no matter what was wrong. He had hired the 

 horse, a very good one. Hounds went on. Mr. 

 Delmege followed and caught him. Explanation 

 rained — the lady, Mrs. Wyndham Gabbett, de- 

 clared that she knew the horse to be hers, a 

 thoroughbred, and where, where was her husband ! 

 She could not understand. 



The young soldier declaimed. He had hired the 

 horse, ridden it, a fall had greatly improved it. 

 He denied the accusation, he grew angry and then 

 he happened to look down. 



His fiery flush of righteous indignation faded 

 to a sickly pallor. 



" My — My — saddle had no flask on," he gasped. 



He had got up by mistake on Mr. Gabbett 's 

 horse and been very well carried indeed. 



At that moment Mr. Gabbett himself on the 



