My courage mounted with the excitement, and I looked eagerly around for some more bold and dashing leap.
"You may take him over the avenue gate," said the English groom, divining with a jockey's readiness what I looked for; "he'll do it, never fear him." Strange as my equipment was, with an undress jacket flying loosely open, and a bare head, away I went.

The gate which the groom spoke of was a strongly-barred one of oak timber, nearly five feet high,--its difficulty as a leap only consisted in the winding approach, and the fact that it opened upon a hard road beyond it.
In a second or two a kind of half fear came across me.

My long illness had unnerved me, and my limbs felt weak and yielding; but as I pressed into the canter, that secret sympathy between the horse and his rider shot suddenly through me, I pressed my spurs to his flanks, and dashed him at it.
Unaccustomed to such treatment, the noble animal bounded madly forward.
With two tremendous plunges he sprang wildly in the air, and shaking his long mane with passion, stretched out at the gallop.
[Illustration: CHARLEY TRYING A CHARGER.] My own blood boiled now as tempestuously as his; and with a shout of reckless triumph, I rose him at the gate.

Just at the instant two figures appeared before it,--the copse had concealed their approach hitherto,--but they stood now as if transfixed.

The wild attitude of the horse, the not less wild cry of his rider, had deprived them for a time of all energy; and overcome by the sudden danger, they seemed rooted to the ground.