CHARLES CARRINGTON, ESQ. 117 



and his horse galloping wildly away at the third 

 fence. Dick was shot through his horse's ears into 

 the next field. 



I was rushing about for mine, over my ankles in 

 mud, when I encountered Frank Cropper and his 

 man Dick in the middle of the slough. 



" Where the deuce is my second horse ? " roared 

 Cropper to his servant. " I thought I told you to 

 ride him to the points." 



" So I was going to, sir ; but he stumbled, and 

 unshipped me." 



" Good heavens ! what is to be done ? " ex- 

 claimed Cropper. " I shall lose the run. Here, 

 you fellows," to a lot of countrymen about, " catch 

 the horses — half-a-crown each for them." 



But the nags were not so easily caught, and it 

 was half an hour before they were secured. Both 

 I and Cropper were wet and cold ; so, leaving Dick 

 to go on with the horses by train to London, and 

 get the coats at the station, Cropper and I started 

 on foot to walk there. He was too bruised and 

 cold to ride ; so was I. 



You may suppose that the remarks we heard 

 going along were not complimentary : " Two gents 

 in scarlet as has been throwed from their 'orses, 

 and a-stumping of it home," etc. 



At last I was getting nearly beat, and so was my 



