, and became less conspicuous than he had been.

Away they went again, off Cleshey and into Thornden parish, on the
land of Sorrel Farm,--a spot well to be remembered by one or two ever
afterwards. Here Sir William made for a gate which took him a little
out of the line, but Maxwell and Burgo Fitzgerald, followed by
Vavasor, went straight ahead. There was a huge ditch and boundary
bank there which Sir William had known and had avoided. Maxwell,
whose pluck had returned to him at last, took it well. His horse was
comparatively fresh and made nothing of it. Then came poor Burgo! Oh,
Burgo, hadst thou not have been a very child, thou shouldst have
known that now, at this time of the day,--after all that thy gallant
horse had done for thee,--it was impossible to thee or him. But when
did Burgo Fitzgerald know anything? He rode at the bank as though it
had been the first fence of the day, striking his poor beast with his
spurs, as though muscle, strength, and new power could be imparted by
their rowels. The animal rose at the bank and in some way got upon
it, scrambling as he struck it with his chest, and then fell headlong
into the ditch at the other side, a confused mass of head, limbs, and
body. His career was at an end, and he had broken his heart! Poor
noble beast, noble in vain! To his very last gasp he had done his
best, and had deserved that he should have been in better hands. His
master's ignorance had killed him. There are men who never know how
little a horse can do,--or how much!

There was to some extent a gap in the fence when Maxwell had first
ridden it and Burgo had followed him; a gap, or break in the hedge at
the top, indicating plainly the place at which a horse could best get
over. To this spot Vavasor followed, and was on the bank at Burgo's
heels before he knew what had happened. But the man had got away and
only the horse lay there in the ditch. "Are you hurt?" said Vavasor;
"can I do anything?" But he did not stop, "If you can find a chap
just send him to me," said Burgo in a melancholy tone. Then he sat
down, with his feet in the ditch, and looked at the carcase of his
horse.

There was no more need of jumping that day. The way was open into the
next field,--a turnip field,--and there amidst the crisp breaking
turnip-tops, with the breath of his enemies hot upon him, with their
sharp teeth at his entrails, biting at them impotently in the agonies
of his death struggle, poor Reynard finished his c