40 A PLEA FOR INTEREST IN HOUNDS 



already been taken literally by some who really seem 

 to have read them, and are determined to carry out 

 their behests. 



I read the rules before going out to hunt on Saturday 

 last, and, watching carefully, had ample opportunity of 

 seeing how^ religiously many of them were obeyed 

 in the morning. We had a slow hunting run — I 

 think the best bit of cold hunting on the part of 

 hounds and as good a piece of huntsman's work as 

 I have seen this season. It ended with the orthodox 

 kill, too, so that not a detail of the chase was wanting. 

 In the line of the hunt also there were some extra 

 big fences, and accurate descriptions of these and 

 of the difficulties and dangers experienced in sur- 

 mounting them, were freely circulated during the 

 frequent checks and when the fox w^as killed. 



It was at one of these checks, when hounds were 

 apparently aware that there was a touch of a fox 

 somewhere, though they could not carry a line, that 

 I saw a young lady obey Rule 7 very implicitly. 

 Rule 7 ordains, " If hounds check and you happen 

 to be near, ride up among them without a moment's 

 delay. Your presence cannot fail to help and en- 

 courage them — particularly if your horse is steaming." 

 Though the pace had been slow, the horse was steaming 

 — certainly he was in no condition — but then he had 

 successfully encountered a large fence, and his rider 

 was evidently determined that all should see that 

 she was in a prominent position, so " in she went " 

 among the hounds, who were spread about the big 

 field trying hard to get fair hold of the line again. 



The same heroine furthur distinguished herself by 



