The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-12-26 00:00:00

CHAPTER IV.

" A dream, which was not all a dream."

Not many days after the occurrence of the deliver-
ance of George Ferrol from the highwaymen, he and
his father, Sir James, were pursuing their usual and
favourite sport of fox-hunting. The sport was upheld
by both with great persistency, and had the old Knight
bees a man of sufficient property he would have kept
a pack of hounds himself ; he had that very morning
remarked at breakfast, that it would be an almost un-
endurable condition that should prevent him riding
across country.
"You are early this morning, Sir James," said his
lady, as they sat down to the breakfast table, "are the
prospects of a ' find ' favourable? What time do you
expect to be home this evening?"
"The pack meets at Groundly farm, not very far
from Longthorpe, and we shall have a long ride to
Kennels, and then further still to the meet. If my
experience on that side proves ti ue this time, we shall
run in the direction away from home ; so we shall pro-
bably be late returning."
So off went father and son in the early morning
light, as happy as health and exercise could make
them. All the particulars of the cover side, and
the breaking away being passed over in usual form,
(for we always read of foxes understanding their
business in those days) the "field" got well away
—Sir James and his eon among the rest. They kept
pretty well together, for although the elder of them
weighed some sixteen stone, he had a clever horse, and
one well "up to weight.' rhe pace too, then, was
not so great as it is now, for sportsmen liked
music in the pack, and mettle in theshorses, and living
in slower times, were not so dissatisfied about pace.
Sir_Jarnes's hunter, making a falling jump into a ehaw
Which had just been cut down, stamped his foot right
upon one of the spiky, pointed stems of hazel, left
eitarp by the eloping out of a bill-hook; it was but for
a moment, he sprung forward, cannoned against
another horse, and stumbling again, fell on kis side.
The rider was so much shaken and confused with this
rapid series of mishaps that he could not save
himself at the moment, so the beast fell upon his le%
and crushed it against the hard stumps of hazel. His
son got the horse up and lifted his father, who, over-
come with the pain and the shaking, fell right upon
his supporter, and they came to the ground together,
George being underneath. He seemed to remember
hay in g been in just such a position before, with his father
lying full weight upon him, and remembered his
curious dream which seemed now to be realised, both
in circumstances and feeling.
Assistance soon came; half a dozen gentlemen dis-
mounted at once, as soon as they perceived that a
serious accident bad happened. Sir James's servant
was dispatched in the direction of the town to find a
coach, or suitable conveyance to bear his master away,
who was evidently very badly crushed in his leg,
besides much bruised. All this time the old man lay
partly on the ground and partly supported by bialys
—one of his old friends had taken upon himserrto
open a veip, for no surgeon was nearer than Long-
thorpe, which however was a considerable town.