A HOLIDAY WITH THE WARD 8i 



preceding horsemen. Here, as there, let the place be 

 never so ghastly in its original ugliness, no sooner is one 

 daring leader safely over than the whole flock of followers 

 accept his lead — and, what is more, though the leap is 

 no whit better for them, their very confidence seems to 

 carry them all safely over. I wonder at the men ; I 

 wonder still more at the women ; and I wonder most of 

 all at the horses — as I see chasm after chasm crossed 

 unfalteringly, that would hang up a Leicestershire or 

 Northamptonshire field for the day. 



One word more. If you do come over at any future 

 time, don't bring your second horsemen, and don't bring 

 your English-bred horses. You will have no use for either. 

 I must leave others to enlighten you as to how to escape 

 from the dilemma, while I go on briefly to illustrate my 

 impressions of the Ward country, from experiences of the 

 present week ; " Sharp frost, no hunting, horses well " 

 being the state of the Grass Countries of England, as tele- 

 graphed from the home-stables. 



On Monday, then, March 7, 1892, along roads dusty as 

 the Epsom route in May or June, I jogged leisurely forth 

 to Brindley Memorial — a point at no great distance from 

 the kennels, but some nine very long Irish miles from 

 Dublin, and where (as no doubt I might have learned long 

 ago from my friend " Triviator," and as every one in 

 Ireland knows) a handsome monument is erected to the 

 memory of the father of the present huntsman — for over 

 twenty years having held the office his son now fills so 

 capably. Owing to a temporary alteration of meets — 

 affecting the present week — a well-filled special had, I 

 learned, carried a party (and with them no doubt my 

 esteemed collaborateur) to the foxhounds of Meath. Thus 

 the field of the Ward was small, and the contrast with 

 recent events and surroundings elsewhere was the more 

 marked and striking. My route lay not direct from the 

 city of Dublin, but from Ashtown. Consequently, to 

 reach the meet, I had to find my way through Finglas and 

 other outlying hamlets whose names I endeavoured as 

 best I could to assimilate into a Saxon memory. Soon, 

 as I expected, I succeeded in losing my way ; and forth- 



F 



