fEcn lul)0 f^uut, antr tijtir i9cculiantit£;. 59 



Agricultural Damage Department. These, as a rule, 

 although lamentably and hopelessly in rear of all 

 others, and to whom the sight and cry of hounds are 

 literally unknown after the pack has broken covert, 

 3^et one and all religiously and systematically ride the 

 line — 'unting the 'oofs of the 'orses with as much 

 assiduity as the hounds their fox. Now, provided 

 that Mr. A., or some other enthusiastic spirit, has 

 made a sufficiently weak place in each fence for their 

 exit from every field in which no friendly *' door " 

 will serve their purpose, all goes well ; but, should 

 even an obstacle of the most moderate size present 

 itself, a general halt ensues, and the most obliging 

 spirit of the discreet band will dismount to pull out 

 a rail, unhinge a gate, or destroy a mound, as circum- 

 stances may demand. During his labours for the 

 common weal, he will be not unfrequently encouraged 

 to extra exertion by his anxious comrades in this 

 wise, '' Pull out that stake now you are down ; " 

 ''Get that other rail out, can't you?" "Well done!" 

 " That's better !" and so forth ; but no sooner is the 

 obstacle under demolition sufficiently reduced in size 

 to admit of their safe egress, than further civility 

 is cast to the winds, and they proceed en masse for 

 the opening, crushing through it as best they may, 

 and leaving the obliging party who enabled them to 

 do so ankle deep in mud (if not knocked down), to 



