48 SKETCHES IN THE HUNTING FIELD. 



nasty square-railed white gate, a great deal more 

 creditable, as it seemed to many of us, to the carpenter 

 who made it than to the farmer who put it up in a hunt- 

 ing country and left it fastened. 



The business was accomplished in such an easy, un- 

 obtrusive manner, that the exceptional ability of the 

 performer was past all question, and we wondered 

 whether anything would stop him. The swollen banks 

 of the Swirl towards which we presently approached 

 seemed to answer our query in the affirmative; but we 

 were wrong. 



This river is, as we have all supposed, impracticable 

 at the best of times ; but the stranger thought it worth 

 trying, and went at it with a will. For once the old 

 proverb was falsified ; or at least, though there was a 

 "way," it was simply in, and not over. Man and horse 

 disappeared, and as their heads rose to the surface up 

 came Wynnerly, who had not been near when the gate 

 was negotiated, but had since noted the way in which 

 the new-comer had been going. 



"We oughtn't to let the stranger have it all to him- 

 self!" Wynnerly said, and putting on as much steam 

 as was obtainable, galloped to the bank, and, as was 

 inevitable, landed about two-thirds of the journey 

 across, disappeared in turn, but hitting on an easier 

 way up the opposite bank, was ashore in time to give 

 the stranger a hand to help him out. 



A very stupid proceeding, the wise will say, with 

 more than an appearance of truth ; but there is some- 



