regardless altogether of the
gates. Peregrine Orme and Felix Graham, who were with her, followed
close upon her track.

CHAPTER XXIX

BREAKING COVERT

"There's a double ditch and bank that will do as well," Miss Tristram
had said when she was informed that there was no gate out of the
wood at the side on which the fox had broken. The gentleman who had
tendered the information might as well have held his tongue, for Miss
Tristram knew the wood intimately, was acquainted with the locality
of all its gates, and was acquainted also with the points at which it
might be left, without the assistance of any gate at all, by those
who were well mounted and could ride their horses. Therefore she had
thus replied, "There's a double ditch and bank that will do as well."
And for the double ditch and bank at the end of one of the grassy
roadways Miss Tristram at once prepared herself.

"That's the gap where Grubbles broke his horse's back," said a man in
a red coat to Peregrine Orme, and so saying he made up his wavering
mind and galloped away as fast as his nag could carry him. But
Peregrine Orme would not avoid a fence at which a lady was not afraid
to ride; and Felix Graham, knowing little but fearing nothing,
followed Peregrine Orme.

At the end of the roadway, in the middle of the track, there was the
gap. For a footman it was doubtless the easiest way over the fence,
for the ditch on that side was half filled up, and there was space
enough left of the half-broken bank for a man's scrambling feet; but
Miss Tristram at once knew that it was a bad place for a horse. The
second or further ditch was the really difficult obstacle, and there
was no footing in the gap from which a horse could take his leap. To
the right of this the fence was large and required a good horse, but
Miss Tristram knew her animal and was accustomed to large fences. The
trained beast went well across on to the bank, poised himself there
for a moment, and taking a second spring carried his mistress across
into the further field apparently with ease. In that field the dogs
were now running, altogether, so that a sheet might have covered
them; and Miss Tristram, exulting within her heart and holding in her
horse, knew that she had got away uncommonly well.

Peregrine Orme followed,--a little to the right of the lady's
passage, so that he might have room for himself, and do no mischief
in the event of Miss Tristram or her horse making any mistake a