Illustration by Gilbert HollidayOver he goes, with a crash and a rattle,
Hound couples clinking, ’gainst saddle and thigh;
Over he goes, and the light of the battle
Gleams like a spark in his eager young eye.
Twigs of the hawthorn fly backward together,
Meeting again with an ominous swish;
Over he goes, landing light as a feather,
One with his horse and quick as you’d wish.
Kinds and condition of fences don’t matter,
Straight as a ramrod he rides at them all;
Over he goes with a bang and a clatter,
Knocking loose stones off the top of the wall.
Bullfinch and ditch and the rest are no trouble,
Nor is a bank, for the matter of that;
Over he goes, on and off the big double,
Timed to a fraction and neat as a cat.
Added to these are the rails and the water;
Timber he loves, but the brook is a care;
Over he goes, with a yard and a quarter,
Fully a yard and a quarter, to spare!
Posted July 19, 2015
From Hunters’ Moon by Edric G. Roberts, illustrated by Gilbert Holiday, Richard R. Smith Inc., New York, 1930