160 A BREAKFAST, AND — BEOKEN BONES. 



bounded it — a deep brimful rivulet, with steep banks 

 of eighteen or nineteen feet of bright water. On the 

 farther bank lay the osier holt, of about three acres, 

 a little to their right, which the gallant fox had dashed 

 through without stopping, and had been viewed away 

 in good style. Down this grass field Mary and the 

 Virginian, headmost now of the field, gallopped at 

 racing pace alone. But in the next, divided from them 

 by but a single parallel fence, thundered the field, 

 about a hundred yards behind, but riding parallel. 

 The hounds swept over the brook, and the osiers 

 crashed but once as they broke into them. 



Mary put the mare's head, held hard, right at the 

 bright water ; the marshy ground, half quagmire, shook 

 under her — but she increased her pull, sent in her 

 single spur, and skimmed it like a seagull, turning in 

 her saddle, as she soared over it, to laugh at Fairfax, 

 with a wave of her silver-handled whip above her head, 

 and a musical " hurrah ! first over !" 



It was a wondrous sight, even though the ground 

 had favored her, to see a girl leading a field of men, 

 and such men, and so mounted, and yet withal so fe- 

 mininely soft, so full of every woman grace and woman 

 mirthfulness. 



In a second, " Thunderbolt" was at her side — the 

 noble brute would be held back no longer, the stufi* was 

 in him, and must out. 



A moment after, Jardinier's yell was heard as he 

 cleared the Arnesby, the leader of his own squad, by 

 a hundred yards, as he was a hundred yards in the 

 rear of his leaders. 



Her eyes were fixed on tie Virginian's face, and she 

 saw it pale, and his lipn whiten, and his eye lighten, 

 as he heard Jardinier's yell of defiance. She saw that 

 his soul was in it — that he must conquer. 



" Never mind me ! go on !" she whispered, '' never 

 ttiind me ! no one docs I Go on, and beat liim, please." 



