226 FOX-HUNTING TYPES 



ther Thomson's Reminiscences of the pleasures that 

 remain to a man who is fond of the chase even 

 unto patriarchal age ! That book alone, with its 

 happy, genial tone, should be sufficient inducement 

 to all hunting men to stick to the sport as long as 

 Providence gives them strength to stick to the 

 saddle, "while panting Time toils after them in 

 vain." 



The Man who Hunts to Ride is to be found, I think, 

 in every hunt in His Majesty's dominions, and is 

 present at almost every meet with every pack of fox- 

 hounds. 



There is no mistaking the keenness with which 

 he pursues his sport ; which is certainly to him one 

 intensely exciting, containing, as it does, a consider- 

 able spice of danger to himself — in many cases also 

 to the hounds he patronises, and occasionally to his 

 fellow-mortals, " Bruiser " yclept by some, by others 

 *' thruster," both epithets sufficiently describe the 

 manner of his progress. He comes out to ride 

 straight and hard, to be turned by no fence, to go 

 as close to the hounds as his horse can carry 

 him, or as long as that horse can last. But it does 

 not necessarily follow that he will over-ride hounds, 

 unduly press them at a check, or otherwise miscon- 

 duct himself ; for, if he has been any length of time 

 at the game, he knows better than to spoil his own 

 fun. Though he probably would die sooner than say 

 so, however, he means to " have the best of it " if he 

 can, and intends to let no man ride between himself 

 and the pack when they really run hard. 



