THE HUNTSMAN 47 



strength of having successfully manoeuvred some ten 

 or twelve couple of waffling beggars, undertook the 

 situation of Huntsman to a scratch pack of foxhounds. 

 A scratch pack of foxhounds, especially a newly set 

 up one, is always a dangerous thing. You have all 

 the wild, resolute, vigorous power of the animal 

 without the discipline ; added to this, they are 

 generally composed of the wild, vicious, savage 

 hounds of other packs; things that escape hanging 

 by going to scratch ones. Having, however, 

 subdued the merry mettle of the harriers, generally 

 with a rate, at all events with a cut of a whip, our 

 hero thinking foxhounds were to be similarly kept 

 down, " broke kennel " the morning after his some- 

 what sudden installation, with a very riotous crew at 

 his horse's heels. He got to the place of meeting 

 with his own and the noisy efforts of a young clown 

 in boots, and the field began to assemble. The 

 meet was in a valley, and unfortunately on the 

 opposite hill were some newly stubbed, but faded 

 gorse bushes. A slight breeze caught one of these, 

 and set it a going on the brow of the hill. The 

 hounds caught view and dashed away full cry, Soup 

 and Chaw riding, rating, and rioting, which the 

 hounds were just as likely to take for encouragement 

 as not. On they went full cry, at a most determined 

 pace, when, wonderful to relate, Chaw instead of 

 riding at their sterns, got round them, and with 

 uplifted whip was about commencing operations, 

 when the horse, unused to such a charge, suddenly 

 stopped short; Chaw pitched over its head; away 

 went the horse with the hounds full cry after it, 

 for two miles, when fortunately or unfortunately, 

 according to the value of the respective animals, a 

 flock of sheep interposed, or as Soup deposed, he 

 verily believed they would have eaten horse saddle 

 and all. As it was, they compounded by taking 

 several saddles of mutton. This, it may be said, 



