HACK-HUNTING. 495 



I saw hounds on Saturday — and this too at the very city 

 gates — saw them kill one fox, and hunt another. But the one 

 tailed to get out of the wood ; and the other, after giving them 

 fast fun for seven minutes, either took to the railway or turned 

 to the canal towing path. So there needed little physical 

 power to see all this — to see it sufficiently, at all events for the 

 fulfilment of the ordinarily accepted definition of vision (not too 

 literally), as it is construed for the doings of hounds. 



A great game is foxhunting — a very wide and various game 

 happily — of which the looker-on may see much but not the pith, 

 not the kernel, none of the heart and life of it. 



Alas, there is none of this in the background — any more than 

 there is in fielding long slip at cricket, or in guarding the 

 baggage when the corps is to the front. That there are other 

 gratifying, genial, pleasures here to be found is not to be 

 denied. Besides, does it not " bring people together who would 

 not otherwise meet, and do much towards improving our un- 

 rivalled breed of horses, my lord ? " In such position you may 

 at all events run and read, look and learn, mark and digest. 

 Yet for the life of me I cannot, even after an hour's ride home 

 and a full hour's evening smoke, understand why, when a fox 

 breaks in full view in one direction, viz. to the immediate front, 

 the mass of people should break up and hie away in at least five 

 separate different directions — only a very small proportion going 

 for the hounds, the rest apparently speculating upon the fox's 

 intentions as they might (with more legitimate excuse ?) with 

 stag. The fox's intentions were as usual directed mainly by 

 the prompting he chanced to meet on his way. And, it is 

 almost needless to add, four-fifths of the starters, quite con- 

 tentedly, never saw a hound again until the check. Yet, there 

 is a marvellous knack in getting over a country thus in the 

 dark. I can generally follow a tail-hound — especially if there 

 be fifty fellows riding at him, ahead of him, and over him, all 

 the while. But to steer without a beacon, — going as fast the 

 while as the thrusters in front, who turn not aside, even to 

 catch their neighbour's horse — and in so steering, to hit off un- 



