THE BLOODHOUND IN THE VALE. 143 



again to the right, and with scarcely a moment's 

 check went on. We jumped into the lane, and 

 then as hounds took up the line we jumped back 

 into the fields, where Major Ness was rolled over 

 by an open trench, but happily without being 

 hurt. After this the fences came thick and fast, 

 and horses flew them in the wake of hounds, the 

 pack running mute with the deer only twenty 

 yards in front. She had got up out of a ditch 

 close to them just after we crossed the lane, and 

 we rode for our lives, fearing every moment they 

 would have her down. She managed, however, 

 to keep about the same distance from them, and 

 still the steeplechase went on. Over the road 

 from Todber to Marnhull, and then fields and 

 fences again, till we passed Nash covert on our 

 left, and came down to the New Bridge at the 

 spot where we used to have to ford the river. 



From this point the pace was slower, and I will 

 give Lady Theodora's description, as she and her 

 pilot had the good fortune to be at the river just 

 as the hounds and deer appeared on the side from 

 which the riders had crossed by the bridge, and 

 for a time they galloped level with the pack, only 

 the water between. 



" Seeing the white posts," she sa^^s, " we went 

 for the ford, and Harris splashed in, saying as he 

 did so, ' Wait till I am over, please.' This I did 

 impatiently enough, till, just as I was going to 

 follow, down w^ent his horse in the mud on 

 landing. Harris jumped off and got clear, but 



