OVER-RIDING HOUNDS 249 



fore, it must be wide. To attempt to pick through 

 them would be a hopeless endeavour. The operations 

 of huntsmen who have large fields to contend against 

 are obviously more perplexing than of those who hunt 

 hounds in provincial countries, where there are but a 

 few horsemen out and most if not all of them sports- 

 men. 



There are many hard riding men who affect to know 

 nothing about hounds or hunting, who regard hounds 

 simply as objects to ride after; in short, they think it 

 derogatory to be supposed to understand any of the 

 details. All I can say of them is that I think they 

 lose a vast deal of the interest which is to be derived 

 from the chase peradventure some of them are better 

 versed in the mysteries of woodcraft than they profess 

 to be. There are also a vast number of persons who 

 follow hounds, who certainly possess very superficial 

 ideas of the incidents which are most intimately con- 

 nected with hunting, and yet they often indulge them- 

 selves in the happy delusion that they are perfect 

 masters of the art. If they were to attempt the most 

 trifling performance they would speedily proclaim 

 their inefficiency. Unfortunately, though, they are the 

 most prone to express opinions which are neither 

 founded on experience or reality. It very frequently 

 happens that when hounds fail to show sport every 

 reason but the correct one is raised against the unlucky 

 master and the huntsman. Some will exclaim that the 

 huntsman is too slow, others that he is too fast ; others 

 will argue that the hounds are too high bred, or too 

 lusty, or too light, or too small for the country, or too 

 big; when in most cases the only obstacle is want of 

 scent, a phenomenon which human nature cannot 

 control. 



It is too commonly a custom to express opinions 

 respecting huntsmen; but it is a subject which ought 

 to be delicately treated. Their bread is dependent 

 upon their characters and proficiencies, and it is an 

 unmanly act to injure the reputation of another from 



