io6 SKETCHES IN THE HUNTING EI ELD. 



modesty, "she's a good old mare. Rather wild some- 

 times, and has some awkward tricks, but luckily I'm 

 used to her. Where are we going to draw r " 



" That gorse," Downing answered. " It's a sure find, 

 and if we get away the other side of the common it's a 

 splendid country." 



" Isn't the S.wish somewhere in that direction ? " 

 Scatterly asks. '* It's a l3ig brook we have to cross 

 sometimes — that is of course to say, if we can," he 

 explained for the edification of Fluffyer, who was new 

 to the country. " I hope you are on a good jumper ? " 



" Pretty fair, thanks," Fluffyer replies, patting his 

 mare's neck ; and then, as a move is evidently about to 

 be made, removing the coverings w^hich have preserved 

 the spotlessness of his garments. 



We skirt the gorse, from the other end of which a big 

 dog-fox presently steals away, and is half across the 

 next field before the hounds have hit off the scent. 

 Then, with a rush, the field is off after them, the first 

 fence being so very small and thin that no man shrinks 

 from making his way either over or through, and on 

 we tear, Fluffyer looking back and apparently wonder- 

 ing whether it would be worth while to measure his 

 jump. After this for some time I lose sight of him, 

 but at the first check he turns up, remarks with some 

 satisfaction that this is a good beginning, at any rate, 

 and asks if we saw him do the fence in the bottom. 

 I had happened to observe him at the spot in ques- 

 tion, and noticed that he trotted through without the 



