A BIG WATER JUMP 131 



and did not like the look of this ' bullfincher,' but in 

 the fence was a strong five-barred gate. The mare 

 was pulling hard, I was in a good place, thought it 

 could not be worse if I charged the gate. I got my 

 heart up to the sticking-place, and launched her at 

 it. It seemed to me as though she never went out 

 of her stride, for she cleared it like a bird, without 

 touching it. The hounds had a check at the wood, 

 and many hard men came round me, and said 

 they never saw so desperate a jump, as it was on a 

 steep descent, and they were prepared to see a very 

 bad accident ; but the way she negotiated so 

 dangerous an obstacle was beautiful to behold. If 

 there was one thing this charming animal felt more at 

 home with than at any other whilst hunting, it was a 

 brook of naked water. The well-known Jem Mason 

 wished to try her, and took her one day in cold blood 

 at the River Thame, and she cleared it without the 

 slightest difficulty — twenty-three feet of water. On 

 one occasion, when I wasshowingthegentlemenof the 

 ' Varsity ' over the Broughton course on my father's 

 farm, we came to the water jump, which had a plain 

 sheep hurdle before it. The intending riders, who 

 were walking, pronounced the brook impracticable, 

 and refused to have it in 'the line of country.' 

 Amongst the company was Lord Coventry, Mr. 

 Allgood (Captain Barlow), the champion rider of the 

 ' Varsity,' and others, who remonstrated with me, 

 and suggested that this part of the course should be 

 altered. I was riding my mare, and said, ' Well, I 

 don't think you ought to funk this water jump, if 



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