8 HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS. 



with jest — never a hard man, but with a wonder- 

 ful knowledge of the game, and generally 

 accompanied by a bevy of the fair sex who do 

 not want to ride right up in front and know that 

 our wit is a safe man to follow. 



Last, but not least, are the farmers, who 

 will always find the warmest corner in my heart. 

 I suppose because I belong to the land, I make 

 it a point always to go through a gate at the 

 same time as a farmer. Don't they throw it 

 open with a swing? I am always nervous of 

 gates. Ever since the time when a man " not- 

 of-the-land" let the gate swing to under my 

 horse — it was down hill — and I was in the very 

 disagreeable position of having half my horse 

 on one side and half on the other, and there I 

 had to wait until she wriggled her hind legs 

 over. Fortunately she was not an excitable 

 animal. 



How the farmers know the run of the foxes 

 and just where to go. Many a good run have I 

 got into through watching which way a certain 

 man went. 



I must not forget my fellow worker in this 

 district. When hounds meet in our country he 

 takes command and directs matters, and he does 

 it well. He helps me in a thousand ways, and 

 gets through many a job I cannot tackle. 



I must not omit to mention the man who 

 rides round last of all and is supposed to shut 

 all gates, and the day following goes over the 

 line to note what damage we have done. 



I must say how obliging and civil the 

 second horsemen are. Always ready to lend a 



