358 THE BEST OF THE FUN 



undaunted and irrepressible rider. Was he daunted ? By 

 no means. I must tell you what had happened. It seems 

 that, possibly with a view to Anglicising his horse for 

 readier sale, he had that morning double-bridled him for 

 the first time. Now a Tipperary horse has, to borrow an 

 Americanism, " no use " for two bits in his mouth at a 

 time. So, with almost more than human acuteness, he 

 resented the insult by catching his curb on a stick as he 

 reached the parapet in question. There he remained, like 

 a ram caught by a thorn bush, till his rider could 

 dismount to release him, and the rest of us broke 

 away with lamentation to find another exit. This we 

 found here and there, making the descent into the broad 

 dyke with many scrambles, and at least a brace of falls, 

 among us. 



By this time hounds had rounded the hillside and 

 touched the patch of gorse at White Hall, before descend- 

 ing into the valley of the township of Coherne. Running 

 on, steadily but not fast (as the storms overhead thickened) 

 they gained the hills and stone walls near Coolquill Castle. 

 What would your English horse say, or think, if he were 

 asked to run up a stone staircase forming a footpath over 

 a bank from one field to another ? Whatever he might 

 think, I for one should dislike to press the necessity upon 

 him. Yet here a dozen horses in succession made their 

 footing good, the only downfall being in the case of a 

 lady. I hardly know how best to express my admiration 

 for the way the ladies of Tipperary cross a country that 

 most would define as altogether too rough-and-tumble for 

 their sex. The strong thorns alone, through which they 

 have often to force their way, have little bend or give in 

 them, like those of an English hedge. Rather are they 

 stubborn and unyielding enough to imperil any habit, or 

 any but the stoutest hat that can be built of felt. 



When within half a mile of the demesne coverts of 

 Ballyphilip, our fox (finding himself now some four miles 

 from home) suddenly changed his tactics, and, recrossing 

 a road, swung right round to Ballincurry. Soon we found 

 ourselves near Ballingarry village, the meet of the morning, 

 and after some fortv-five minutes from the find. Here our 



