Page:Victoria, with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong.djvu/94

 with many a noble feat of horsemanship unrivalled in the annals of fox-hunting. Many were soon distanced; again the chase led on through the forest, and then the skill of the hardy steeds appeared, as dashing, crashing madly, themselves excited in the chase, they bore us along.

Ascending a small hill, another plain opened on our view, intersected by a wide and rapid river; into this the forester made his way, and now half beat from a run of more than ten miles without a check, prepared to meet his foe; and as each dog came rushing on him, he quickly tore him with his forepaws, or, sometimes seizing two at a time, held them underwater, drowning them in the stream. When, however, the rest of the pack came up, refreshed, no doubt, by his cooling delay, he regained the bank and bounded off again. Amid the floating and torn dogs, we, madly, to a man, took the foaming current. Some were swept down the stream, and with difficulty regained the shore they came from. My gay young friend and I were amongst the fortunate ones, and, following on, we soon again took up the chase, which, now heading over a hill of stunted trees and loose stones, seemed sheer madness, as in reckless style and still full pace we dashed on. As we reached the summit of the hill the poor kangaroo's day was nearly over, for though in going down the hill he gained considerably on the dogs, yet in the valley they once more overtook him. A gentleman, an old sportsman, now dismounted as we drew in