, BARKBY GORSE TO TILTON. 69 



distant ken and immediate aftertalk warrant niy story — 

 beyond that galloping, ceaseless, grinding, galloping, 

 Ibrmed the essence and criterion. On the broad hillside 

 between Lowesby and Quenby hounds flash momentarily 

 beyond a smeuse— one old lady (Dahlia, I am told), 

 alone striking through, to cross a deep boggy bottom 

 which a dastard memory, rising only to the call of 

 cowardice, recognizes readily. It might have come right 

 in the stride, and been left to us as a mere harmless 

 trifle by those who went before — led, as we should have 

 been, by the ex-Carabineer just appearing over the low 

 stile adjacent, and by the huntsman now rolling over the 

 same. What do we And ? Twenty men huddled in a 

 corner — forty more flocking thither. A plantation on 

 the left, a cross fence on the right — new timber in front, 

 where once was an open chasm, of itself quite equal to 

 putting us down in years gone by — as more than one 

 can sorrowfully vouch. Ten yards of low plashed hedge 

 completes the corner ; the gulf is of unknown breadth, 

 of well-known depth ; the opposite bank rises precipi- 

 tately ; the huntsman's cheer has thrown hounds forward 

 after the yellow bitch — and we don't like the prospect at 

 all ! But the last week or so has brought back a man 

 whose office in life — after the well-being of his master 

 and the well-doing of the latter's young horses — would 

 seem to lie in assisting us all, in difficulties and out of 

 difficulties. So once ao:ain Downs is to the front. The 

 chestnut four-year-old accepts the task right willingly ; 

 jumps as fjir as he can ; and, now on his knees, now on 

 his nose, finally on his legs^ recovers everything but his 



