Sir Charles Slings by 263 



as they ran through the wood, just above Copgrove Beck. 

 We went through a gate, and were waiting to let the 

 hounds get clear of the wood, when I made the remark, 

 " Your curb-chain is loose ; turn his head, and I'll fasten 

 it for you." " Thanks," he said, " I'll do it myself," and 

 swung himself off his horse, and put it right. Together 

 we went on, fording the beck with the hounds, and then 

 galloped on in the direction of the weir. I was not 

 familiar with the fields where we were, but Eobinson 

 suddenly pulled his horse to the left, and at the same time 

 turned in his saddle and beckoned to me. I therefore 

 increased the pace of my mare, and on reaching him he 

 said, " There is a ferry-boat here. If we are lucky we 

 shall get over before any one else gets up." 



When we reached the river, there was a very heavy 

 flood, which far overflowed the banks, but the fox we were 

 pursuing had twice before crossed the river, and escaped, 

 and there was in consequence an extra keenness to catch 

 him this time. The two ferrymen were working in a 

 garden some little distance on the further side, but on our 

 hailing them they hurried down, and made such progress 

 that at first we thought our hopes would be fulfilled, and 

 that we should get started for our journey across before 

 any one else appeared. The ferry-boat was a sort of 

 floating bridge, 30 feet long, with a railing 5 feet high at 

 the sides, and a small gate at each end, which could be 

 fastened at pleasure. It was worked by a windlass, the 

 revolving chain that passed over it being fastened at either 

 bank, but the great mistake had been made in having the 

 chain on the down-stream side of the boat. This had been 

 so fixed because it made it possible to work the boat in a 

 higher flood than could be done when it was on the upper 



