A BREAKFAST, AND— BROKEN BONES. 159 



The first fence was what would be called a rasper 

 for most men and most horses. It consisted of a small 

 grip of some three feet width, a bank of about twelve 

 inches, with a post and three rail fence, and an old 

 clipped thorn hedge of not less than three feet and 

 a half, within it. Beyond this was a drain full of 

 bright water, at least ten feet in width. 



The color of her cheek did not flush or pale, her 

 eye laughed wickedly, her moistened lip almost smiled, 

 as she gave Bonnibelle her head, and let her go at it, 

 without a pull, hands down, and as easy in her saddle 

 as a New York merchant-princess in a rocking chair. 



Nothing on earth is more graceful and easy than 

 the sweep of a thorough-bred over a rasper, and when 

 to the beautiful curves of the animal were added the 

 more exquisite lines of beauty of the girl's supple 

 swaying figure, nothing can be conceived more lovely. 

 No centaur of old fable ever was more thoroughly one 

 animal than Mary showed with Bonnibelle over that 

 spanking leap. 



Another grass field swallowed in the increasing gal- 

 lop of the hunters — another fence, a nasty lean to 

 paling of five feet, with no ditch on either side ; and 

 Mary tui'ned her rosy cheek — rosy with the blythe in- 

 nocent excitement — to her admirer, who held "Thun- 

 derbolt" unemulous, one length behind her, as if to 

 see how he handled his horse ; nodded her head, took 

 Bonnibelle in hand a bit, and then, when close in on 

 the ugly fence, up went the little elbows, and in went 

 the little heel, and Bonnibelle was popped over the 

 palings before she knew where she was. Another 

 grass field, and a stifi" up leap, to clear a sunken ditch 

 faced with strong masonry, and still the lady kept the 

 chesnut mare's head straight, and never wavered in 

 her seat, or shook in her stirrup. 



One more field of above fifty acres grass, still grass, 

 a little plashy as it sank toward Arnesbj brook, which 



