iliiits' to JjiitJtJiug ^port^mcu. 33 



right hand, loose your horse's head, and shout at 

 him. This course gives him confidence, and is very 

 general. Awkward hairy doubles and bullfinches 

 are fences to be shunned ; but if you should find such 

 unavoidably thrown in your way, and prefer the risk 

 of encountering them to casting a shoe, or breaking 

 a stirrup leather, I can advise no safer mode of doing 

 so than this : Hold on by your spurs, shake your 

 reins vigorously, and, above all, shut your eyes. On 

 re-opening them you may find yourself safe and 

 sound upon the other and desired side — thousands 

 have, by acting similarly, done so before you. Never 

 await your turn at a gap, but always " cut in ;" on 

 no account giving place to anyone, not even in the 

 case of a lady, or a lad ; but, by crying out " Lady, 

 lady," in remonstrative tones, you may, and often 

 will, gain an opportunity of yourself shpping through 

 the opening more quickly than you otherwise might 

 have done, and the plan is, at all events, worth trying. 

 Never assist the whippers in, or yourself prevent 

 cattle or sheep from crossing the line of the fox, or 

 from straying through an open gate on to public 

 roads, or bye-ways. You come out to see hounds 

 hunt, and although the time it would take you to 

 check the stra3ang stock by closing the gate is un- 

 worthy of notice, whereas the farmer may later on 

 spend anxious hours in collecting them again, recollect 

 c 



