SPORTSMAN 67 



when, on rising from the ground, he was not a Httle 

 startled at seeing a well, or rather a draw-hole 

 the size of a well, into which his horse had gone 

 headlong, and was dashed to pieces ; as was the 

 case with the saddle. The fall was of considerable 

 depth ; it was a place from which chalk had been 

 excavated to manure the land. The writer once 

 hunted that country, and recollects three hounds 

 being lost for three days, and were found in a well 

 of this description ; but they were all got out 

 alive and saved. This, and the fact of his having 

 seen men when riding jealously go headlong into 

 a pond on the other side of the fence, and on one 

 occasion into a chalk-pit, he thinks may even 

 make a steeple-chaser look before he leaps ; for he 

 should recollect that no one has marked out his 

 line with hounds as in a steeple-chase. 



One of the first things for a man to acquire in 

 riding to hounds is, an eye to hounds ; that is, in 

 chase always to keep his eye on the leading hound, 

 which he will easily distinguish from the pack by 

 observing that the moment the leading hound (or 

 hounds, but generally only one) catches the scent, 

 he drops his stern as straight as a tobacco-pipe, 

 and the stern of the other hound which had it the 

 moment before will rise. It often happens that 

 several get it when the scent is pretty good ; and 

 if so, it will be easier to see it. By observing 



