106 WITH HOUND AND TERRIER. 



horse Tom could do either, and I have known him 

 when in a cramped corner rear up and throw him- 

 self over. When you are riding at a fence where 

 you think it likely the horse may come down, you 

 should slip your foot out of the stirrup, as you are 

 thus saved from the danger of being dragged. It 

 is easy to regain the stirrup as you gallop on, and 

 you ought, indeed, to be able to ride without it. 

 To break the pommel is a much more serious busi- 

 ness. Mine once snapped when we were flying a 

 big water-jump, and I only saved myself with the 

 greatest dijSiculty from what must have been a 

 nasty toss. 



To return, however, to Countess. This mare 

 came to me from Elihu Harris, a man who rode 

 at everything that came in his way, and who 

 had swum the river with her. Once with me 

 in a quick thing from Stock we found the ford 

 flooded when we came down to the Caundle 

 Stream near Waterloo Gorse. The water was 

 out half across the meadows, and the gate had 

 quite disappeared from view. As we waded in, 

 trying to find the gate. Countess got out of 

 her depth and had to swim. Striking out 

 immediately for the opposite side, she gained 

 the bank, and after a great struggle succeeded 

 in landing. Strangely enough, nearly the same 

 thing had happened to my father many years 

 before, a little lower down, where Mr Guest 

 has now put up a hunting - bridge ; but my 

 father was not so fortunate, as he was knocked 



