Then what a commotion there was! Such jumpings off to lead down, such
huggings and holdings, and wooa-ings of those that sat on, such slidings
and scramblings, and loosenings and rollings of stones. Then the frantic
horses began to bound, and the frightened riders to exclaim:
'Do get out of my way, sir.'
'Mind, sir! I'm a-top of you!'
'Give him his head and let him go!' exclaimed the still drunken brother Bob
Spangles, sliding his horse down with a slack rein.
'That's your sort!' roared Sir Harry, and just as he said it, his horse
dropped on his hind-quarters like a rabbit, landing Sir Harry comfortably
on his feet, amid the roars of the foot-people, and the mirth of such of
the horsemen as were not too frightened to laugh.
'I think I'll stay where I am,' observed Mr. Bugles, preparing for a
bird's-eye view where he was. 'This hunting,' said he, getting off the
fidgety Arab, 'seems dangerous.'
The parties who accomplished the descent had now some fine plain sailing
for their trouble. The line lay across the open downs, composed of sound,
springy, racing-like turf, extremely well adapted for trying the pace
either of horses or hounds.
Pages:
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721