ON HUNTING. 159 



of his day ; he died young, and here is Dick's account 

 of his " first fence," for which all fox-hunters are under 

 deep obligations to the Druid. 



" The Marquis of Hastings was one of my pupils 

 I was two months at his place before he came of age. 

 He sent for me to Donnington, and I broke 11 his 

 horses. I had never seen him before. He had seven 

 rare nice horses, and very handy I got them. The first 

 meet I went out with him was Wartnaby Stone Pits. 

 1 rode by his side, and I says, ' My lord, we'll save a bit 

 of distance if we take this fence.' So he looked at me 

 and he laughed, and says, 'Why, Christian, I was never 

 over a fence hi my life.' God bless me, my lord ! you 

 don't say so ? ' And I seemed quite took aback at hear- 

 ing him say it. 'Its true enough, Christian, I really 

 mean it.' * Well, my lord,' says I, you're on a beautiful 

 fencer, hell walk up to it and jump it. Now 111 go over 

 the fence first. Put your hands well down on his withers 

 and let him come.' It was a bit of a low-staked hedge 

 and a ditch ; he got over as nice as possible, and he 

 gave quite a hurrah like. He says, There, I'm over my 

 first fence that 's a blessing ! ' Then I got him over a 

 great many little places, and he quite took to it and went 

 on uncommonly well. He was a nice gentleman to teach 

 he'd just do anything you told him. That's the way to get 

 on ! " 



In another place Dick says, "A quick and safe 

 jumper always goes from hind-legs to fore-legs. I never 

 rode a steeple-chase yet but I steadied my horse on to 

 his hind-legs twenty yards from his fence, and I was 

 always over and away before the rushers. Lots of the 

 young riders think horses can jump anything if they 

 can only drive them at it fast enough. They force them 

 too much at their fences. If you don't feel your horse's 



