Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1890-02-28

before the days work.
hear the horses beng walked up ant
down on tho gravel outside, and the sount
rather takes away my appetite. Ishoult
like TO know little moro about tho ANNA
am TO ride before mount and therefore
seize an carly opportunity o, asking Fudge
wood about IT,
'This gray, which you have been good
enough 10 lend me, PuJgewool, have you
had him longm
My host screws up his eyebrows and
makes u brief mental calculation. "rve
hunted old Diamond row for nine seasons;
he's never given me single ia |, and ]
never knew him turn his head from any
thing yet"
Haven't you lndeedrn I ask family.
mot once" aillim. Pudgewood, solemnly.
'Hc can take fve-'oot wall ms easily as
you could jump over q straw. He loves
jumping, that horse"
Loves jumping, docs hel listen with
sickly interest while Pudgewcol continues
to dilate upon old diamonds merits. He
appears TO DO horse OF c,nsiderab @
strength of character, from his masters
account; ani fear th.t il he insists upon
lndulging in his taste for jumping while |
am on his 'ck some Difference OF opinion Is
like 10 alise between US. / do not Glove
Jumping
Pudgewood is certainly rost thoughtful
man. He arms mo with q huge hunting
crop. whose horn handle. lie says, will DO
useful TO open gates with. It's n trouble
some thing TO carry, and gets fearfully en-
twined with the reins; but II 1t is to serve
me as a gate-opener, no earthly power shall
induce me TO leave it behind.
lam mounted now. l felt little pale
when | came out Of the house; but the ex-
ertion of climbing into the sadde, with the
GroOm's assistance, has made me purple in
the face, for am stoutish man Of no great
stature, and not so active us used to be-
les triile fresh, sir,n says the groom
as he puts my right foot into the stirrup.
Don't touch lin with the spur or ride lin
on the curb. and ell 20 like lamb"
The horse IS tossing his head and champ
ing his bits with most unlanib ike ferocity;
indeed his wlo'e demeanor warns ne TO
treat his peculiariiies with the utmost re-
spect. | screw my armed heels painfully
far outwprls, to keep the spurs OF his side
and pick the bride up very gingerly
won't pull the curb-rein for any considera.
ton. try to look comfortable and happy
as IuiGewood rides up beside me and gives
Diam' nd a long loving look over from his
head to his h eis.
HE will carry you splendidly," he says
to me. ~ shall expect to see you IN the
first fliyht the whole day."
It's far more than expect myself am
not at all ambitious TO be Ia the first flight
whatever that may bc-anl don't mean to
let Diamond jump 50 much rs gain II
can help it,
The horse cllms down by and by; and
when we pill up at the crossroads where
the hounds are waiting, feel much more ut
home in the saddle than dill when we
started. There are at least fifty hors, men
standing about, and numbers of carriages
full OF lad.e' Every body ljolSs so ami
mated and jovial, that make spasmcdlc
effort to APT ar pleasantly at case. I'm
afraid the attempt is rather IA failure, for
the sight of the hounds has reused Dia.
mond's spirit, and he is very anxious to be
off. Presently the who'o cavalcade Is
streaming slowly up q mu Idly lane behind
the hounds; we pass through gate into
large field and the IN istcr, aided By the
hun'sman and whips, sends tho pack into
cover.
Pudgowood trots up TO give me final
word OF advice: "Don touch his mouth
take his own pace, aud you are quite safe"
l nod u despairiDg affirmative; somebody
beside me says. "They have found" aud |
sit in awful suspense awaiting the result
One of the whips appears ut the corner OF
the wood into which the hounds were sent
and holds up his cap. Men throw away
their cigars, button up their coats, and
press their hats well home | feel dread
fully limp, as we trot towards white gate
in the corner OF the fell. Suppose it won't
open, AMI that am call ii upon ~ put Dia-
mond at the rIilingsi They are nearly
three feet high AMI look awtuly strong.
The gate is not locked, however; and when
we get through 1t, we SEQ the no lnds pour
ing out OF the wood, noses down AMI tales
up. They've got the line " says man
near nc; "come on" lie cautei away and
in ten sec nds more we are all gallopng
across the pasture after him. My hat gets
over my eyes and cart SEQ any thing;
la lost stirrap and in my frantic
plunge' ~ recover it, / have spurred Dia-
mond TO the top of his speed in what direc-
ton have not the least ilcL
Hold hard sir" bawls man as / fash
past him; but am oblivious to all things
save the certainty OF tumJling OF if don't
houndW screams some one else as shape
less splatch OF liver and white, WHICH | sub
sequenty a-certain was hounl appears
below Diamonds boots, and houls pile-
ously as we pass over il. bays got all the
reius ard my whip in enc hard, aud i'm
holding on u the sa Idle Ike grin death
with tho other. SUDDENLY tho stirrup
swings itself back onto my foot again, aud
with a supreme Ell rt | succeed in pulling
the horse up. don't like u look around.
| hear foods of opprobrious language lev
elled at me, at which must lay I'm good
deal surprised, as have always been told
that the huntiag field is he school for man
ners.
"Perhaps, sirn says an old gentleman In
whom recognize the pcraon Pudgewood
pointed out to inc us the Master Of the
Hounds, IF you can not conrol your horse,
you had better keep well in the rear. You
have already disabled one OF my hounds
He says this very authoritatively, and can
ters on without paying the least attention
TO my apologies. quite agree with him
about keeping in the rear, and shall be per-
fectly satisfied 10 stay there if Diamond |
would consent to the arrangement
After we have gone a good long way.
v It'll the rest u the field. am stared at a |
good deal, doh't know why, and l hear |
something said about oheque, which sup |
pose relates TO that stupid dog !, dc over. |
1t rather dampens my ardor, for have goi |
on surprisingly well up till now; there has
been no Jumping, for all the gates nre open, |
or there have been friendly gaps in defuuii'
have been abused sometimes for not await
ing my turn at these places; but can't ex-
plain that the anxiety 10 get on is all on
Diamonds rnrt and not on mine. / am glad
10 stop for bit. but in O few minutes a
nan says, They've hit of the line" and we
ire all laundering down towards hedge of
most forbiddng aspect. and without gap
n It's whole leugth. Now, then, Jones'"
sings out Pudgowood, cheeriy, 'sit down,
and give the old horse his head,n
TIE advice is wei meant. but unnecessary;
The old horse has got his head but have
quite lost mine. We are at the beige;
here is a frightful iurch, and am ho:ted
nto mid-air vaguely conscious that the
'addle on Diamonds back is far away
below me. After wide parabolic aerial
light, l came down langthwaYs on the