WARWICK WOODLANDS. 47 



ill that stroiig effort, and in the easy gallop, li' Toui 

 Draw 3aw him now, he could have some excuse for calling 

 him "half Jiorse" — and he does see him! hark to that most 

 unearthy knell! like unto nothing, either heavenly or 

 human ! He waves his hat and hurries back as fast as he 

 is able to the horses, well knowing that for pedestrians at 

 least, the morning's sport is ended. 



Harry and 1 were now almost abreast, riding in parallel 

 lines, down the rich valley, very nearly at the top speed 

 of our horses; taking fence after fence in our stroke, and 

 keeping well up with the hounds, which were running 

 almost mute, such was the furious speed to which the 

 blazing scent excited them. 



We had already passed above two-thirds of the whole 

 distance that divides the range of woods, wherein we 

 found him, and the pretty village which we had consti- 

 tuted our head quarters, a distance of at least three miles ; 

 and now a very difficult and awkward obstacle presented 

 itself to our farther progress, in the shape of a wida 

 yawning brook between sheer banks of several feet in 

 height, broken, with rough and pointed stones, the whole 

 being at least five yards across. The gallant hounds 

 dashed over it ; and, when we reached it, were half way 

 across the grass field next beyond it. 



"Hold him hard, Frank," Harry shouted; "hold him 

 hard, man. and cram him at it!" 



And so 1 did, though I had little hope of clearing it. I 

 lifted him a little on the snaffle, gave him the spur just as 

 he reached the brink, and with a long and swinging leap, 

 so easy that its motion was in truth scare perceptible, he 

 swept across it; before I had the time to think, we were 

 again going at our best pace almost among the hounds. 



Over myself, I cast a quick glance back toward Harry, 

 who, by a short turn of the chase had been thrown a fevv 

 yards behind me. He charged it gallantly ; but on the 

 very verge, cowed by the brightness of the rippling water, 

 the gray made a half stop, but leaped immediately, be- 

 neath the application of the galling spur ; he made a noble 

 effort, but it was scarce a thing to be effected by a stand- 

 ing leap, and it was with far less pleasure than surprise, 

 that I saw him drop his hind legs down the steep bank, 

 having just landed with fore-feet in the meadow. 



I was afraid, indeed, he must have had an ugly fall. 



