OVER BANK AND TIMBER. 107 



from the saddle by a branch, and his horse was 

 washed down-stream without him. 



It is not often you see a horse double timber, 

 but Countess once doubled a stile by Bagber 

 when my brother was riding her. I also saw 

 a horse, ridden by Captain Macfarlane in Mr 

 Garth's country, drop his hind-legs on a gate, 

 and as he went on Captain Macfarlane turned 

 to me and said, "Didn't he double itl" He 

 was a rattling rider, and nearly always rode 

 chestnuts, which were so much alike that it 

 was very difficult to tell them apart. I re- 

 member his delight one day when a farmer said 

 to him, " Well, sir, that's a wonderful horse 

 you're on. I've seen you on it every day this 

 week." 



A remarkable jump Countess once made with 

 me was when the Blackmore Vale Hounds had 

 run into the Cattistock country and were coming 

 away from Short Wood. She was taking a big 

 double when, as she was poised on the bank, 

 she saw a farm - waggon immediately beneath 

 her on the far side. The waggon had happily 

 been drawn close in to the hedge, and to my 

 no small relief Countess cleared it, though she 

 made it rattle with her hoofs as we came down. 



I was riding Countess the only time I 

 attempted the Buckshaw Brook, a well-known 

 feature of the Vale country. There was quite 

 a little history about this, for when Mr Drax 

 bought a farm on one side of the brook he 



