MY FIRST DAY'S FOX-HUNTING 131 



these few moments, and then all was still — i.e., as 

 regards motion ; but my ears were assailed by a 

 deafening cheer — mixed, I must candidly admit, 

 with some laughter. When I " came to," I dis- 

 covered that I was still alive, and still in the 

 saddle, and that my horse was, in the most matter- 

 of-fact way possible, spanning the w^all like a 

 bridge, fore-legs on one side, hind-legs on the other. 

 I hastily congratulated myself that things were no 

 worse, and then began to consider what was the 

 proper step to be taken by a man in my situation. 

 " Pull him back ! " " Job him over ! " " Stick to 

 him ! " " Get off ! " and similar advice came to me 

 from every quarter. I resolved to act on the " get 

 off " principle ; and with some difficulty I did get 

 off, taking care to be on the right side. I then 

 endeavoured to pull the horse over with the reins ; 

 but he resisted with all the obstinacy of a coster- 

 monger's donkey — which circumstance seemed to 

 add to the amusement of the field, for their laugh- 

 ter increased. Growing desperate, I slashed my 

 whip several times over the animal's neck ; at 

 which treatment he kicked and plunged until, to 

 my great delight, he kicked the wall down ! 



" Thank you for your easy lead, my dear cousin 

 Adolphus ! " said Emily, as she and the two other 

 ladies came through the breach in the wall. 



