Hunting with Hounds 195 



country, or an afternoon at polo, will yield 

 more exercise, fun, and excitement than can 

 be got out of a week s decorous and dull rid 

 ing in the park, and many young fellows have 

 waked up to this fact. 



At one time I did a good deal of hunting 

 with the Meadowbrook hounds, in the north 

 ern part of Long Island. There were plenty 

 of foxes around us, both red and gray, but 

 partly for the reasons given above, and partly 

 because the covers were so large and so nearly 

 continuous, they were not often hunted, al 

 though an effort was always made to have one 

 run every week or so after a wild fox, in order 

 to give a chance for the hounds to be properly 

 worked and to prevent the runs from becom 

 ing a mere succession of steeple-chases. The 

 sport was mainly drag-hunting, and was most 

 exciting, as the fences were high and the pace 

 fast. The Long Island country needs a pecu 

 liar style of horse, the first requisite being 

 that he shall be a very good and high timber 

 jumper. Quite a number of crack English 

 and Irish hunters have at different times been 

 imported, and some of them have turned out 

 pretty well; but when they first come over 

 they are utterly unable to cross our country, 

 blundering badly at the high timber. Few of 



