f^int^ to Bntltliug; ^portsmnt. 



has broken covert, regardless of the fact that not 

 a hound is as yet upon his line. Always do this. It 

 ensures you the best of starts, and a good beginning 

 is, you know, a great deal. If, in fording a stream, 

 you should find your horse suddenly shorten his 

 steps, contract the muscles of his back, or commence 

 scraping the bottom, or striking the water, at once 

 loose his head. He will probably then lie down, 

 and may arise much invigorated by his cold bath. 

 You may personally get a wetting, too, but no good 

 sportsman, like yourself, should dread that. The 

 above advice is equally applicable in the case of 

 deep and sludgy gateways. If you get a fall 

 without your horse coming down, cut a voluntary, 

 that is to say, on securing him smear his nose and 

 forehead well with mud, when no one is looking ; his 

 appearance will thus be made more in accordance 

 with that of your clay-plaistered self, and the sub- 

 servient and unerring quadruped can tell no tales. 

 The worse the scent is, the easier it is for you to 

 distinguish yourself during the chase. Therefore, 

 always on bad scenting days assume as forward a 

 position as possible ; ride clean a-top of the hounds, 

 in fact. By this means you will probably bring 

 3'ourself to the notice of the master and the hunts- 

 man at as early a period of the day as by pursuing 

 any other course. 



