214 A DAY WITH THE DRAG 



well as we that the moment for action has arrived. 

 " Gently there, Safety ! have a care, then ! " Yow, 

 yow, yow ! from the hounds. Toot, toot, from the 

 Master's horn, and away they go. " Do wait, you 



dev fellows ! You'll be bang into the middle 



of 'em ! There, now, you can go and be blessed to 

 you ! " Amid a confused rush of horses, clatter of 

 hoofs, and babel of tongues, we are away, and thun- 

 dering down to the first fence, a big quickset. AVith 

 a crash the first Whip is over or through ; it doesn't 

 matter which so long as he finds himself " all 

 standing" on the right side. Half-a-dozen men 

 make for the same place and great is the thrust- 

 ing thereunto. The first and second get over : 

 the third man falls : the next alights almost on 

 top of him : now comes a gallant " just joined " 

 one, who does not jump when his horse does, 

 and then that first fence becomes of no further 

 interest to us, for are we not over it, and speeding 

 along at our best sprinting pace towards a line of 

 post and rails, where, the Powers be praised ! there 

 is plenty of room for the whole field to have it 

 abreast, if they wished. Two refuse at this : it is 

 a pretty big one, and worse still the timber is oieiu : 

 but the next comer smashes the top rail and lets 

 everyone through : then for three or four fields all 

 is plain sailing — brush fences that our steeds 



