Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-01-09
MARKnAMES FOX HUNT.
phlladelph!a EyonInr RnIletln.


For several days Mr. Harrison Mark.
ham had failed to appear at the Ritten.
house Club and. as it was his custom tc
occupy seat in the club window every
afternoon for, at least, brief period,
Mr.. Robert Cartwright, or Bob. " ae
he was familiarly called, on the third
day determined to go to his clubmate's
rooms and find out what was the mat
ter. He discovered Mr.. Markham re-
clining, in dressing gown, in an easy
chair, making pretence OF smoking a
cigar, while he gazed with despondent
eye out of the window.
Hello, Harrison ~ was Cartwright's Is
greeting. What the dickens is up?'
Markham turned his head stillly.
CANT you see?" he asked testify.
No, returned Bob. II see nothing,
except you're in devilish bad humor. -
You won't blame me, (" saio Mark
ham, bit less ill-naturedly, as he mo-
toned his visitor TO a chair and nodded
in the direction of the cigar box and
whisky stand. "I've been through
enough to make any man a bear. The
wonder is that I'm alive. y
Why, what have you been doing?"
Fox hunting" replied Markham,
laconically.
For want OF suitable reply Bob was
silent, and Markham continued. 1.-The
results are spinal column that feels
IKE beads on string, a neck that has
positively no joints, livley remem-
brance that I've been through thresh-
ing mill, and, generally, nightmare
that | can't shake off. 80
Bob tried to look sympathetic, and
failed miserably.
What the deuce are You laughing
at2'' asked Markham angrily.
Was laughingY" returned Bob in
nocently. ~ bog your pardon; didn't
mean TO, | assure you. Tell me all
about It, old chap, I'm awfully inter
ested. "
Markham was silent for a minute
then he took a sip of whisky. I'm tell
you," he said; "but it's confidential.
vi course, there's nothing in the ac-
count that everybody might not hear.
But you understand, ! shouldn't want
to pain others with description of so
agonizing an experience. "
Bob nodded, and Markham went on.
+" 1t was this way A week or so ago [
got an invitation from the Rose Tree
Fox Hunting Club to join them in
run. A run, think that's what they
called it; but the term was misleading.
my dear fellow-diabolicall mislead
ing Tho whole thing was trap laid
by that fellow jackson, whom I've
known for years, and whom | never
thought would play such an internal
trick | was unsuspecting, though,
and | accepted the invitation. I'm
fond of riding, you know, and, while
I'D never done much jumping, | occa-
sionally had put my horse at blanket
hung over pole, and had done SO we'll
that felt | could get over creditably
anything that would be likely to en-
counter during the hunt.
jackson promised to have hunter
for me, and he had--a hunter of every
ugly spot In the whole country around
Media, | should say. The beast was
the special invention of the evil one,
| believe.
:" | was pulled out Of bed at the
hour when Pm usually Just about
going to bed, and hauled downstairs by
jackson, who said it was great
morning. He made lot of other idiotic
remarks which aggravated his first
offence. The sun was rising, they said.
| couldn't see any sun. The sky in the
east had a refrigerated look. | was
cold, uncomfortable and in beastly
temper. Somebody enthusiastically
explained that the scent would lay well
and that certainly fox would be got
up soon. Privately thought that the
foxes that were fools enough to get up
at that hour would be few and far be.
tween.
After breakfast we got on our horses.
Mine was not a bad looking animal at
ALL But appearances are deceptive
often, and this was an instance in point.
We started. ! got along all right
for a time. We left the club house
about half after I. Some time about
there was chorus of yelping, some
one gave an unintelligibe cry and the
whole crowd Of US made a wild break
across country. | hadn't seen sign
of a fox, but, ! supposed, that that
was what we were after. The dogs were
out of sight, but we could hear them.
and as the chief object seemed to be to
stock close to the dogs, the hunt, |
imagined, was going on successfully.
For quite while we kept along
pretty decent ground; then wo got
into rouaher country, and presently
struck ditch. | knew it was ditch
by seeing two of the riders ahead of
me disappear from sight suddenly AS
| came up to it pulled on tho reins,
and somehow found myself ON the other
side. safe and sound. The occurrence
gave mo confidence. But, old man,
guess confidence isn't always Il good
thing.
''Ten minutes later we passed through
the open bars of big field and raced
across it. There was barbed wire
fence on the other side. When We got
within a hundred yards Of it the fore
most riders turned TO one side and
made for section of bars. The rest
in front of me followed their lead. But
couldn't see the sense in such a
move. This barbed wire fence was no
higher than the four barred section,
and if | could got over the bars, /
didn't understand why l should be
afraid of the barbed wire. Besides
the pack was dead ahead OF me in an
other field
So went at the wire. My horse
didn't object, and | gave him a touch
which increased his speed When we
got where l thought the animal ought
to take off | lifted him for the jump.
But, do you know what that brute did?
Instead of rising he plunged forward,
ran almost full tilt into the barb wire,
reared, fell over and pumped me, head
first, into the next field. Luckily, [
fell so that / didn't break my neck.
or, in fact, any bones. But | was
completely knocked out, and lay there
for a couple of minutes before realized
just what had happened. Then | was