112 THE YOEK AND AINSTY. 



dirtying his coat. Those who were present, and 

 were lucky enough to get to the finish, describe 

 the run as being most enjoyable, as the hounds 

 ran fast enough at times to satisfy the most in- 

 veterate bruiser, and when they were brought to 

 their noses they worked with a perseverance that 

 won the admiration of all who saw them. 



The York and Ainsty may be fairly called a 

 big country, especially that part of it which 

 belongs to Ainsty proper ; the fences are either 

 rough and untrimmed, or else a good height, and 

 very thick on the top, quite as formidable as 

 timber, and big drains are of frequent occurrence. 

 It requires a good man and a good horse to live 

 with hounds when they run hard, and if an 

 attempt is made to gallop over the fences grief is 

 sure to be the result. There is not a more 

 fashionable pack of hounds out of the Shires, and 

 immense fields turn out at all their favourite 

 fixtures ; and it says much for the energy and 

 ability of successive masters, that from the some- 

 what humble beginning of seventy years ago such 

 a famous pack of hounds should have been 

 produced, a pack, the brilliancy of whose later 

 history has caused the old hare and fox-hunting 

 lot to be almost forgotten. 



