SADDLE AGAIN. 401 



vain, as has since been told and toasted in every public for miles 

 round. A great rusty fox jumped forth at their very feet — 

 and the next moment the heavens were cleft with the uproar. 

 For once the clamour did good service. It drove the game 

 across hounds, and set them going open-mouthed, in view. 

 Some may say, let hounds start cool, undisturbed, unexcited. 

 I venture to refer back to many a thrilling gallop and suc- 

 cessful run, and to meet such maxim with a tempered contra- 

 diction. No, let them start with their bristles up, if you can. 

 Let them settle when they must — but for Heaven's sake, give 

 them room to do it. With their blood afire, they will do their 

 best. Cold blood never killed a fox, any more than cold blood 

 ever cut out the work over a strong country. But I did not 

 mean to pass from hound to man — though excitement is the 

 motive power with both, restrained and modified by instinct in 

 the one, by reasoning and self-command in the other. For one 

 run we see worked up to, there are twenty we see made at the 

 start. The credit of performance belongs all to the former 

 case, and is more often due to the huntsman. Hounds will 

 achieve the latter. It is for him merely to set the machine in 

 motion, to watch it going, and bide his time. 



I don't fancy Monday was quite a scenting day. It was 

 muggy and close — conclusive, if one dare risk even a guess 

 upon scent, of ready evaporation. But a fox, never five hun- 

 dred yards to the good and with some twenty couple all in 

 a fury for his brush that just now swept their very faces, must 

 leave a scent — where the turf is old, and that turf is renowned 

 for its holding properties. So they raced — which hackneyed 

 term here applied means that in a level pack the tail hounds 

 never caught the front, till a first quarter-hour brought them 

 to the verge of Badby Wood. Ah, it was sweet to see them 

 drive across the great spreading pastures — they rounding a 

 gentle curve, we striking a bee line on the upper ground, by 

 means of a line of wide gates that I for one never before 

 regarded quite so heartily, so gratefully. We always accept 

 them, as you know : and are well aware that we could not 



D D 



