232 SKETCHES IN THE HUNTING FIELD. 



of that chestnut's legs — or, rather, I do like the look of 

 them for our sakes. Go away as hard as ever you can ; 

 but take it easy at the fences : and, excuse me, sir, but 

 just let the mare have her head when she jumps, and 

 she'll be all right. People talk about ' lifting horses at 

 their fences : ' I only knew one man who could do it, 

 and he made mistakes." 



I nod ; smiling as cheerfully as anxiety will permit 

 me. The flag falls, and Little Lady skims over the 

 ground, the heavy chestnut thundering away behind. 



Over the first fence — a hedge — and then across a 

 ploughed field ; rather hard going, but not nearly so 

 bad as I expected it would have been : the mare 

 moving beautifully. Just as I reach the second fence a 

 boy rushes across the course, baulking us ; and before I 

 can set her going again Jibboom has come up level, and 

 is over into the grass beyond, a second before us ; but I 

 shoot past and again take up the running. Before us 

 are some posts and rails — rather nasty ones ; the mare 

 tops them, and the chestnut hits them hard with all four 

 legs. Over more grass ; and in front, flanked on either 

 side by a crowd of white faces, is the water-jump. I 

 catch hold of the bridle and steady her ; and then, with 

 just one touch of the whip — needless — she rises, flies 

 through the air, and lands lightly on the other side. 

 Half a minute after I hear a heavy splash ; but when, 

 after jumping the hurdle into the course, I glance over 

 my shoulder, the chestnut is still pounding away behind : 

 they had made a mistake, but picked themselves up 



