e landing
side, under the bank, was a strong-running stream, and two or three of
the horses, at sight of it, checked on the wide top of the bank, and
tried to turn. Not so Nancy. It was enough for her that her father by
adoption had not hesitated. She slid her forefeet a little way down
the grassy side and went out over the water as if the bank had been a
springboard. It was only then, at the gorgeous moment of successful
landing, that Christian was aware of a young man running towards the
riders, bawling, and demonstrating with something that might be a gun.

"That's one of the Carmodys, Miss," said old Kearney, galloping near
her. "Don't mind him! It's as good for you to go on now. That's the
house below--"

"Come on, Christian!" shouted Larry; "he'll do no harm!"

The thought crossed Christian's mind that it might be better to
disregard these counsels, and to stop and speak to the assailant, but
Nancy had views of her own, and such arguments as a snaffle could
offer were quite unavailing. "I might as well go on," thought
Christian, "we shall be off his land in a minute."

A very high bank, crowned with furze and thorn bushes, divided them
from the next field; there was but one gap in it, near the farm-house,
and this was filled with a complicated erection of stones and sods,
built high, with light boughs of trees laid upon them; not a nice
place, but the only practicable one. Bill Kirby and his whipper-in
jumped it; some of the farmers drew back, but Larry's bay horse
charged it unhesitatingly, and soared over it with the whole-souled
gallantry of a well-bred horse. Nancy, pulling hard, followed him.
Christian heard Larry shout, and, looking round, saw him turn in his
saddle and strike with his crop at something unseen. At the last
instant, as the mare was making her spring, a second man appeared on
the farther side of the jump, yelling, and brandishing a wide-bladed
hay-knife. To stop was impossible; Christian could only utter a sharp
cry of warning, as Nancy, baulked by the suddenness of the attack, but
unable to stop herself, went up almost straight into the air, and came
down on the boughs, with her hindlegs on one side of them and her
forelegs on the other. Then she fell forward on to her knees, and
rolled on to her off shoulder, her hind legs still entangled in the
boughs. Christian fell with her, and as the mare's shoulder came to
the ground, her rider was thrown a little beyond her on the off side.
The m