1881-82.] A EOUGH LINE. 415 



moner bold " leading respectivel}' the right, the centre, and 

 the left. Little time to note anj-thing but how the pack may 

 bend, or which pilot it seems safest to follow. A bad choice 

 to take the one on the right. In common fairness he ought to 

 have fallen, or at least pecked — and given joii a chance of 

 declining that ugly trap ! 'Twixt plough and plough it is 

 surelj'' enough to have a blind ditch and a high black bull- 

 finch ! What possible object can there be in adding a wide 

 deep dyke beyond? The leader swishes through the topmost 

 thorns ; the great chesnut shaking his well-caparisoned head 

 and flinging himself far into space — and the two sail onwards 

 with stride and equanimity in no wa}^ disturbed. It is other- 

 wise with next comer. With every wish to decide for himself 

 whether the fence opposed to him comes within the standard 

 he has rigidly laid down for himself, he suddenly finds himself 

 impelled by the force of example and the rush of a headstrong 

 steed, to essay a flight to which his wildest fancy would not 

 have prompted him. Heart in mouth, he counts his horse's 

 strides as he nears the first grass-grown ditch. With strain- 

 ing eyeballs he measures the wide chasm he has just descried 

 beyond — while the thought flashes through him, Is there a 

 plough team near? Has he a half-sovereign in his pocket ? A 

 groan of relief escapes him as he lands in safety ; and, turning 

 round in his saddle, he notes a third comer sailing leisurely 

 down upon the breakers. *' Put on the pace ! " he shouts with 

 mistaken zeal to his well-loved elder — with result that his 

 words are not caught, but the black mare nearly is. Her 

 veteran rider had checked, rather than hurried her, to the cry. 

 He wanted no ** office," certainl}'- never knew any fear ; and 

 the warning nearly brought about the consequence it was 

 meant to avert. His mild rebuke, "You shouldn't call out 

 when one is going at a fence ! " serves to point a moral as it 

 has been called in to adorn my tale. 



Two sportsmen abreast were nearly torn ofi" their horses at 

 another highgi'own fence ; and tlien liounds were to be seen 

 piercing the narrow belt of plantation that runs between the 



