This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1868 edition. Excerpt: ... the former can go so straight! A hog-backed stile and a foot-board, four feet odd of strong timber with a slippery take-off, are to him articles of positive re freshment and relief. Dolly found himself able to negotiate one or two such obstacles, when the boldest horsemen were compelled to make a ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1868 edition. Excerpt: ... the former can go so straight! A hog-backed stile and a foot-board, four feet odd of strong timber with a slippery take-off, are to him articles of positive re freshment and relief. Dolly found himself able to negotiate one or two such obstacles, when the boldest horsemen were compelled to make a circuit and find a gap. He ran on, accordingly, with great enjoyment to himself, for nearly half a mile, watching the decreasing pack as they fleeted like a flock of sea-gulls over the pastures, and the foremost riders, who had again overtaken and left him behind, dipping and bobbing at the fences, as if crossing a stiff country were the easiest pastime in the world. Most of the field, too, had now straggled by, aflbrding him an opportunity of observing the caution with which the majority of mounted sportsmen follow their favourite amusement; and after making a fruitless snatch at a loose horse, that deprived him of the little breath he had left, a deep turnip-field reduced the pedestrian first to a walk, then to a stand-still. In this field, for reasons which will presently appear, I am forced to admit Dolly's vested interest in "the little red rover" ceased and determined for good and all; but the true sportsman, unless he be a master of hounds or huntsman, will not regret to learn that after a capital thing of five-and-forty minutes, this game old fox saved life and brush by entering the main-earth at Belton Beeches, just as the leading hounds crashed over the wattled fence that bounded the covert, and the hard-riding cornet, with his horse "done to a turn," entered the adjoining enclosure on his head. Let us hope that "the little red rover" may lead them many a merry dance yet ere he fulfils his...
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