FOX HUNTING. I27 



get in with them. Then another Httle trouble may 

 confront you in this county, with its five large 

 streams of water running through it, and its many 

 mill powers. The fox, hard driven, has taken to 

 a mill dam, or to the broad, deep creek, swimming 

 through the water or crossing on ice, not strong 

 enough to bear your horse; so, rather than risk 

 losing your valuable animal, and perhaps your own 

 life, you ride for a bridgeway or ford; and when 

 you have safely crossed, — where are your fox and 

 hounds? You must ride hard, listen, and find out 

 by the best judgment you can exercise. Wind 

 splitting steep hills, broken rocky sections of 

 ground, marshy meadows, a slippery hillside, or a 

 barbed wire stretched on the top of a line fence, 

 and such trifling obstacles, are also likely to be 

 in your path. Still, it is a glorious sport, and 

 these difficulties only add zest and excitement to 

 it, and make a man of the rider. 



The use of huntsmen, assistant huntsmen, 

 and whippers-in undoubtedly creates a reliance on 

 these employes, on the part of the hunters, to keep 

 them in touch with the hounds. But it sometimes 

 happens that even these trained hunters get 

 knocked out in our hilly country, and any fox 

 hunter who will be frank with you will admit that 

 he has been knocked out in his hunts oftener than 

 is pleasant to own up to. 



