86 A COVERT SIDE. 



efrg-sliell, and that he, after stretching out his arms 

 with a deep groan, lay stunned and senseless. In an 

 instant the whole party was dismounted and around 

 the sufferer ; and Tom Gascoigne, whose words had so 

 strangely coincided with the occurrence, and were so 

 widely at variance from his warm feelings and kind 

 heart, was prodigal of his care and assistance. 



"Poor fellow! poor fellow!" said he, "I am afraid 

 he is gone, indeed, and forever ! bring water some of 

 you, for God's sake." 



A bucket was speedily appropriated, and on the 

 application of a very sufficient dose of cold water, the 

 patient soon opened his eyes, stretched himself, and a 

 moment afterward stood erect as if nothing had hap- 

 pened, giving the earliest symptom of a return to his 

 senses, not by thanks to the friends around him, but 

 by a deep and beastly oath at the unfortunate beast 

 which had given him the fall, and which, though inno- 

 cent, was by far worse hurt than her merciless and 

 reckless master. 



So soon as it was ascertained that the fellow — for 

 if he were a peer, he was no less a fellow, and a low 

 one — had sustained no serious hurt, not one of the 

 party felt the slightest sympathy for him, or desire to 

 assist him further, but mounting as quickly as they 

 could they rode off at a hard gallop toward Uckleby, 

 leaving him plante la beside his lame hack, wondering 

 how the deuce he should get to covert, and swearing 

 furiously at the idea of being late for the meet, until 

 when his patience and his hopes had both well nigh 

 expired, a phaeton came up from Meltonwards, con- 

 taining two or three of his acquaintances, who gave 

 him a seat, leaving his poor hack to such accommoda- 

 tion as the cow-stable of the turnpike could afford, 

 until the man who had charge of his hunter should re- 

 turn for her. 



Meantime Faiifax and the rest had pricked gayly 



