AND — BROKEN BONES. 161 



He looked at her half doubtfully ; and again that 

 glance was interchanged, and she said : 



"I'd rather." 



He nodded, with a world's eloquence in eye and lip, 

 though he spoke not. 



"Beside," she added, "the pace will soon be too 

 much for Bonnibelle." 



As he had crossed the holt the fox lay up a little to 

 the right, enabling Jardinier also to lay up a little, and 

 take a pull, still improving his position toward the 

 lead. The next fence, a rasping bull-finch, was taken 

 abreast in their stride by Bonnibelle and Thunderbolt, 

 the lady leaving a fragment of her riding skirt, flut- 

 tering like a banner among the topmost branches. 

 Jardinier took it a hundred yards to their right, 

 now not above fifty in their rear. More to the right 

 lay up the hounds, and this brought Jardinier aim jst 

 abreast of Fairfax. He would have been quite so, had 

 he laid up too, as he ought. 



But he kept doggedly on, with his horse's head 

 pointed right at Thunderbolt's quarter. Bonnibelle was 

 thrown by the turn six lengths behind either. 



The hounds topped the fence, a tremendous five-barred 

 post and rail of solid timber, at the head of a steep 

 drop. 



The first rule of riding to hounds — the very first — 

 is never to cut in before, or across, or upon, a rider, 

 going at his fence on his own perpendicular line. And 

 no one knew this better than Jardinier. But he felt 

 that his own horse had half his puff out, while he saw 

 that " Thunderbolt" was as fresh as when he started. 

 He must be beaten again ; or — make his word good. 



He held resolutely on. The fence was about fifty 

 yards distance, both horses at their full stretch ex- 

 tended. 



Had Fairfax persevered, as his was the right to do, 

 on his own straight line, Jardinier would have leaped 

 179 



