BLACK A XI) WHITE 195 



down over the Hosey, which he crossed at some conventional 

 willows — a nasty, flooded-looking place from where we 

 were. The knowing ones now made off for the ford. How- 

 ever, the heliotrope kept a good many in the path of 

 glory. The country being very deep and much water out, I 

 gave him very little law — also on the principle of ' For God's 

 sake start us, captain, before the whiskey is out of us ! ' 



The willows presented a scene of wild confusion. For a 

 hundred yards each side of where the hounds crossed there was 

 no reasonably fair take-off, the water being out over banks. I 

 think all the hunt-servants more or less got in. The fact is, 

 we are more accustomed to boating than water-jumping. Mr. 

 Harve}', on Romeo, appeared to make a sort of duck and drake 

 job of it, but did not part, greatly to his credit. The spluttering 

 about was tremendous. Waterspouts filled the startled air. 

 Everybody got in. Charles Rich, according to his own ac- 

 count, climbed up one of the willows after driving Moore's old 

 grey that he was riding into the water up to his neck. I could 

 not understand what he did next, but they got over somehow 

 on right side together, Charlie being wet up to his middle. ' A 



d d good performance, I call it,' he said to me afterwards, 



which, as he weighs nineteen stone and is no climber, I 

 think it was. Self, and Goldsmith on a well-bred white 

 horse, and one or two more rode up the brook. Goldsmith 

 found a place with a little rise to it, good take-off and friendly 

 bush. It was really no width anywhere, so we got over. 

 Luckily, hounds had gone no pace meanwhile, and dragged 

 along into the wrong country, of course, Lechlade way out 

 of the Yale. The chase now led us to the Thames, running 

 strong and high, only to be crossed by an unholy white spar- 

 bridge near a weir. For once the menjand hounds managed 

 to get over first ; then came Jim Rich and one or two of my 

 Wiltshire friends, burning to distinguish themselves. Jim 

 Rich's fool of a horse slipped and got cast on the bridge. 



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