she exclaimed; "I am sure we can go anywhere
that the rest of them do. Don't you think so, Mr. Sartoris?"

Without waiting for a reply, the young lady jumped her horse into the
field, and cantered smartly after Blanche and her cousin.

"Well, wilful woman must have her way," Jim said drily. "Come along,
Sartoris; the governor's hack can jump well enough if you don't hurry
him." And the two men promptly followed their fair leader across the
grass.

King Cole enjoyed the scurry across country to the full as much as his
mistress, and expressed his pleasure by shaking his head and reaching
hard at his bit. Laura Chipchase's horse was also roused by the smart
canter at which they were going, and began to pull unpleasantly.

"Let him go, Laura," cried Miss Bloxam; "the King, too, is fidgeting
most uncomfortably. A good gallop will take the nonsense out of them."

And with that the two girls quickened their pace, and, going on side by
side, led the way at a fair hunting gallop. The first few fences were
small, and as she sailed triumphantly over them, Sylla's pulses
tingled, and she was fired with the spirit of emulation. Although she
was some little distance behind, she resolved to catch and pass the
leaders, and with that intent commenced bucketing her mare along in
rather merciless fashion. In vain did Jim shout words of warning. She
turned a deaf ear to them. Had he not recommended that she should keep
the road? Did he think the art of crossing a country was known only to
the maidens of Fernshire? She was determined to catch Blanche and her
cousin, whatever her escort might urge to the contrary, and saw with
infinite satisfaction that she was rapidly closing the gap between
them. Jim Bloxam, galloping a little to her left, and watching her
closely, has already come to the conclusion that wilful woman will have
her fall, and only trusts it may not be serious.

The mare Sylla was riding was a fairly good hunter, and if she would
but have left her alone would have carried the girl safely over such
obstacles as they had to encounter. But Jim noticed with dismay that
Sylla had some indistinct idea of assisting her at her fences, the
result of which could only be inevitable grief. The exhilaration of
the trio in front, as attested by the wild shout sent back by Lionel
Beauchamp as they cleared the first of those bigger fences previously
mentioned, put Sylla's blood thoroughly up. Heedless of Jim's "For
God'