338 TOLD AFTER MESS 



ground. My horse with the mysterious origin was 

 a good-looking bay, who carried his head in the 

 ' cocky ' fashion beloved of riding-masters, and proved 

 a very pleasant hack. We jogged along and soon 

 reached the meet. 



" The usual scene of eagerness and excitement, 

 hounds supplying the latter element, whilst the 

 superior animal, man, jostled his fellows consumedly, 

 in his natural desire to ' get off the mark ' as soon 

 as decency and the Master permitted. The last- 

 named held forth vigorously to us, as with a ' Tow- 

 yow-yow ! ' hounds dashed across the first field, and 

 jumped, scrambled, or squeezed through the first 

 fence. 



" ' Let 'em get over before you start, bless you 

 all ! Come back there, you man on the grey ! 

 What the saintly St Ursula are you doing ? All 

 right, now you can go, and be past-participled to 

 you all ! ' 



"And away we went as if His Satanic Majesty 

 had assisted us with the toe of his boot ! Swish ! 

 and the first fence, long looked at and much dis- 

 liked, is a thing of the past ; horses pull and bore 

 to get their heads as we sail down a stiffish hill and 

 over a broad ditch at the bottom. My horse drops 

 one hind leg in, and loses a couple of lengths by the 

 performance. Up a slight slope we stand in our 



