The three took a scamper over the downs, and returned by way of the shore.
Biding with Tom and Jill, as may be imagined, was a series of competitive exercises, rather than a straightforward promenade.

Tom was an excellent rough horseman; and Jill, when Mr Armstrong was at hand, was not the young lady to stick at anything.

They had tried handicaps, water-jumps, hurdles, and were about to start for a ding-dong gallop along the mile of hard strand which divided them from Maxfield, when the tutor's eye detected, perched a little way up the cliff, the figure of a young lady sketching.
"I'll start you two," said he, "I scratch for this race.

Ride fair, Tom; and Jill, give the mare her head when you get past the boulders.

I shall go back by the downs.