The Surrey Staghounds. 175 



go is tremendous ; there is no time for shirking 

 or craning, and he who would Kve with them must 

 sit down on his horse and go with a will, remember- 

 ing in such case that he who hesitates is left behind, 

 and far behind, too, in no time. Of this fact the 

 riders with this sporting pack seem to be quite 

 aware ; for the instant the hounds stooped to the 

 scent and settled down to the hne of the stag, they 

 were away like a flash of lightning, and I saw no 

 shirking or hesitation amongst the sixty or seventy 

 forming the " field," every one seeming to have 

 come with the determination of riding across country, 

 not simply following the line of road, as is the case 

 of some stag hunters who I see Macadamising along 

 the highways, getting ahead of the stag, ignoring 

 the hounds, and spoiling the sport. 



The meets of the Surrey Staghounds are not ad- 

 vertised, consequently the " field " is kept within 

 reasonable bounds, which would not be the case if 

 too much publicity was given ; therefore, as a rule, 

 there is a welcome absence of strangers, whose room 

 is pleasanter than their company, especially when 

 they come determined to ride over anything and 

 everybody ; or, what is worse, when they are vmable, 

 from incapacity, to manage their horses, coming to 

 grief themselves, and being the cause of much sorrow 

 to others. It is said that on one occasion the 

 present Duke of Rutland was nearly knocked over 

 by a rash youth, when riding with his own hounds. 

 The culprit, who unluckily cannoned against his 

 Grace, was profuse, nay, even abject in his apologies, 

 offering as an excuse the fact of his being unable to 

 manage his horse. The Duke, who is one of the least 



