332 THE QUORN HUNT 



with his horse apparently on the top of him, the other 

 two steeds speedily following their leader into the water, 

 and there they were, all swimming and struggling to- 

 gether. Lord Wilton was knocked down a second 

 time, and then his horse jumped over him, but luckily 

 without inflicting an injury, and next the three horses 

 swam out into the main stream, one of them not being 

 captured until he had gone pretty nearly half a mile to- 

 wards Leicester. Happily, however, neither of the three 

 horses nor the three riders were one whit the worse. 



No trace of the fox could be found after the water 

 adventure, so Firr brought the hounds back again to the 

 mill-dam, and there he found his fox comfortably hidden 

 on the head of a willow tree. The pack was so eager to 

 get at him that the fox thought it best to make a move, 

 so he jumped into the water, and therein was killed. 



This day, indeed, was by no means devoid of inci- 

 dent, for earlier in the day a fox led the hounds over 

 the grass between Shoby and Asfordby. They then 

 ran to the railway, reaching it at the level crossing 

 near Frisby, where some score of the field took to 

 riding along the line. Presently a coal train came in 

 view, and those who had elected to ride on the line 

 had to hurry off the best way they could, and were next 

 compelled to cross under the line by a narrow wooden 

 bridge, where the towing path of the Wreake runs 

 beneath, and slippery paths had here to be encountered, 

 while the archway of the bridge was scarcely higher 

 than the horses' heads ; and as the train drew near the 

 last of the batch of horsemen grew extremely anxious, 

 for those in front could only move at a slow foot-pace, 

 and had one horse been frightened he might have 

 brought griefs libitum to all the others. This obstacle, 

 however, was successfully surmounted, as also was that 

 of a bridge over the railway with a hole in it ; so all 

 ended well. 



