i64 THE BEST OF THE FUN 



back upon the trail of others. Result : first, I was knocked 

 into the prickly bushes as my steed jumped up beside 

 me ; then he trod on my toes as we stood on the summit 

 together ; and then it became a matter of descending into 

 the next field, with another bramble-grown ditch before 

 us. This was quite a circus-business, and we flew off 

 into space in tight embrace. Now, it happens that my 

 battered legs have lost a good deal of their pristine power 

 of spring. Consequently, though I cleared my ditch pretty 

 well, I did not land quite so far into the field as did the 

 Liberator. I could not let him go on without me, so the 

 next moment I was clinging to the bridle with my head 

 between his heels. But he treated me honourably, and 

 in a very brief while I was scurrying down the hillside 

 at top-speed, much out of breath, and catching at my 

 right stirrup as I went. " Heavens ! what's happened ? 

 Knock out my hat, man ! Let go his head ! Hurt ? 

 Not a bit. Thanks, you're a brick ! " I sputtered forth, 

 as I spat the black mud from my mouth and wiped the 

 dark dirt from my eyes. My gaze had been all on the 

 hounds now feathering across the field below ; O'Connell 

 had found either a bog or a grass-hidden drain in which 

 to tie up his fore-legs, and had ironed me out handsomely. 

 By good chance, both horse and rider happened at the 

 time to be in hard and sound condition, consequently the 

 day's enjoyment was marred little or nothing to either of 

 them by these passing vicissitudes, and in two fields they 

 had recovered touch of hounds. A check came near 

 Willmount, at the end of twenty minutes, and slower 

 hunting took the line through Wilford and Lismolin till 

 their fox got to ground near Drangan, the place of 

 meeting. Total time, about fifty minutes. 



A somewhat intricate country, if my unaccustomed eye 

 apprised it at all accurately, was the scene of our hunt 

 until its end. By the way, is it, I ask you, encouraging to 

 the next comers that the pilot of the party, on reaching 

 the top of a bramble-hidden bank, should there pause to 

 ejaculate, " Great Scot ! it's a rum 'un ! " before disap- 

 pearing from view into farther depths ? The words were 

 evidently as heartfelt as they were sturdy of expression, 



