136 SKETCHES IN THE HUNTING FIELD. 



— the phrase is conventional, but it is strictly true, and is 

 there not reason to suppose that the creature is as proud 

 as she looks ? — an impartial observer who knew what 

 horsemanship is (the phrase scarcely includes poor Kitty) 

 would assuredly not say that the blind pony was ^' more 

 like what you call her ' form.' " Sir Henry Akerton rides 

 by her side, and looks down from the back of his great 

 brown horse with evident admiration at his companion, 

 as she acknowledges with a kind smile the salutations 

 and congratulations of those who know her, as they pass 

 near. Anything more completely removed from the 

 hunting lady (whom Mr. Boucicault so stupidly carica- 

 tured under the title of Lady Gay Spanker) cannot be 

 imagined. It was perhaps, after all, excusable that 

 Miss Kitty should have made her error, though when it 

 comes to galloping all possibility of mistake at once 

 vanishes. 



The hounds find at once this morning, and all but the 

 most arrant of gate hunters turn sharp round to the 

 right, and cross the thin hedge and narrow ditch which 

 separates them from the field where the pack is running. 

 But the next obstacle is of a different sort. A thick, 

 ugly-looking hedge — so ugly and blind that a stiff stile 

 seems preferable — and over this Bill Heigh, the hunts- 

 man, gets fairly well ; a well-known steeplechase jockey 

 flies it after him ; Scatterly hits it hard, and gets across 

 with a clatter ; Wynnerly, riding a young one, is turned 

 completely over, an occurrence which does not seem to 

 disconcert him in the least, for in a very few seconds the 



