Year: 1873




with a good. heart and a good horse will
ride; and the animal, if he knows what
/ he is about, viii strike it, sometimes
with fore as well as hind-feet, and come
down without any great exertion. But
the post and rail in Australia should be
taken with a clear, flying leap. There
are two alternatives if this be not done.
If the horse and man be heavy. enough
and the pace good enough, the top bar
may be broken. 1t is generally about
eight inches deep and four thick, is quite
rough, and apparently new-but, as on
this occasion I saw repeatedly, it may
| be broken and, when broken, the horse
and ridergo through nscathed-carried
| by their own impetus, as a candle may
be fred through a deal board. The
other chance is to fall, which event
| seemed to occur moro often even than
the smashing of the rail. Now I was
especially warned that, if I rode slowly
at these fences, and fell, my horse would
certainly fall atop of me; whereas, if
went fast, I should assuredly be
launched so far ahead that there would
be room for my horse between me and
the fence which had upset me. Tt was
not nice prospect for man riding
something over sixteen stone!


But now had come the moment
in which I must make up my mind.
Half dozen men were over the rail.
Half a dozen balked it. Two fell,
escaping their own horses by judicious
impetus. One gentleman got his horse
half over, the fore-quarters being on one
side, and the hind on the other, so that
the animal was hung up. A lady rode
at it with spirit, but checked her horse
with the curb, and he, rearing back,
fell on her. Another lady took it IN
gallant style OF those before me no
| one seemed to finch It. Fora moment
it seemed as though the honor of all
! the hunting-felds in England were in
trusted to my keeping, and L determi Led
to dare greatly, let the penalty be what
| it might. With firm hands and legs,
/ but with heart very low down, I
crammed the little brute at the noun
! tain of woodwork. As did so I knew
that he could not carry me over.
Luckily, he knew as much about it as
[ did, and made not the slightest at
! tempt to rise with me. I don't know
that I ever felt so fond of horse before.


At that moment, an interesting in
| dividual, coming like a cannon-ball,
crashed the top bar beside me, and I,
finding that the lady was comfortably
arranging her. back hair, with plenty of
assistance, rode gallantIy over the
second bar. For the next haIf-hour I
took care always to 90 over second bars,
waiting patiently till top bar was
broken. I had found my level, and
had resolved to keep it. On one oc-
casion I thought that a top bar never
would be broken and the cessation was
unpleasant, as successful horsemen dis
appeared one after another. But I per
ccived that there was a regular company
! Of secOnd-bar men, so that, as long as [
! could get over rail three feet high, I
need not fear that should be left alone.
| And hitherto the pace had not been
quick enough to throw the second-bar
men out of the hunt But soon there
lcame a real misfortune. There was a
/ ence with only one bar, with only ap-
parent obstacle. I am blind as well as
heavy, and I did not see the treacher-
Gus wire beneath. A heavy philanthro-
pist, Just before me, smashed the one,
and rode on at what 1 thought to be a
free course. My little horse, seeing no
more than I did, rushed upon the wire,
and the two of rs were rolled over in
ignominious dismay. The horse was
quicker on his feet than was, and
liking the sport, joined it at once single
handed, while I was left alone and dis
| consOIate. Men and horses, even the
sound of men and horses, disappeared
| from me, and found myself in solitude
| in a forest of gum-trees.


! [ was certain that we had been run
| ming a drag all the morning. As I
wandered about, felt the ignominy of
the whole thing. If man does ride to
! a drag, he should at any rate ride we'll,
and not lose his horse and bel alone
after the first haIf-hour And in that
wild country I might be wandering
about for a week without seeing any
thing but a cockatoo or an Australian
magpie. There does, however, always
come some relief IN these miseries. 1
/ first encountered another horseless man,
then a second companion in misery, and
at last a groom with my own little nag.
As for the run, that, as regarded me,
was, of course, over; but I had legs
| besides my own to take me back twelve
miles to the place at which 1 was
stopping.


As far as I could learn they ran drag
on that occasion for about seven miles,
and then came upon a turned-down
dingo. This animal they took alive
after two miles. The sporting reader
viii perceive from this that an appear
ance was maintained of finding game,
and hunting the game to the end. The
Melbourne hounds do also hunt deer,
| sometimes turning down a deer from a
cart as we do at home, and sometimes
finding a wild-deer. The sport, as I
saw it in the neighborhood of Melburne.
was as I have described.


But, previously to this, had hunted
kangarOos in Queensland and New South
Wales, and I viii say a word or two as
to that sport. I confess that, in the
| absence Of fox-hu lting, I enjoyed 1t
very much. Four of Us went out IN