or horses have
a great dread of them, and will not be induced to jump them on any
account. If we could find out where the gate was, well and good; but as
it might be half a dozen miles off, on one side or the other, we seldom
lost time or patience in seeking it. When there was no help for it, and
such a fence had to be crossed, the proceedings were, always the same.
F----dismounted, and unfastened one of his stirrup leathers; with this
he strapped the wires as firmly as possible together, but if the fence
had been lately fresh-strained, it was sometimes a difficult task.
Still he generally made one spot lower than the rest, and over this he
proceeded to adjust his coat very carefully; he then vaulted lightly
over himself, and calling upon me to aid by sundry flicks on Leo's
flank, the horse would be induced to jump over it. This was always a
work of time and trouble, for Leo hated doing it, and would rather have
leaped the widest winter creek, than jumped the lowest coat-covered wire
fence. Helen had to jump with me on her back, and without any friendly
whip to urge her, but except once, when she caught her hind leg in
the sleeve of the coat which was hanging over the fence, and tore it
completely out, she got over very well. Upon that occasion F---- had
to carry his sleeve in his pocket until we reached the neat little
out-station hut, where Jim Salter lived, and where we were pretty sure
to find a housewife, for shepherds are as handy as sailors with a needle
and thread.

I shall always believe that some bird of the air had "carried the
matter" to Salter, because not only was he at home, and in his Sunday
clothes, but he had made a cake the evening before, and that was a very
suspicious circumstance. However we pretended not to imagine that we
were expected, and Jim pretended with equal success to be much surprised
at our visit, so both sides were satisfied. Nothing could be neater
than the inside of the little hut; its cob walls papered with, old
Illustrated London News,--not only pictures but letter-press,--its tiny
window as clean as possible, a new sheep-skin rug laid down before the
open fireplace, where a bright wood fire was sputtering and cracking
cheerily, and the inevitable kettle suspended from a hook half-way up
the low chimney. Outside, the dog-kennels had been newly thatched with
tohi grass, the garden weeded and freshly dug, the chopping-block and
camp-oven as clean as scrubbing could make them. It was