230 FOX-HUNTING TYPES 



youths who were discussing the moving adventures 

 by flood and field of a run in which some of them 

 had participated. " It was a devil of a place ! " quoth 

 the principal spokesman ; " bad downhill take-off, a 

 stiff-looking rail set well away from a widish ditch, 

 and the hedge was as high as a house — a ' you couldn't 

 see over, you couldn't see through ' sort of thing — and 

 Lord knows what on t'other side. But one couldn't 

 help feeling sure there was something. I turned 

 away ; wouldn't have it at any price ! So did Blank 

 and Dash who were up, when down comes an old 

 chap on a big bay, never looked to right or left, but 

 sailed over the lot. I give you my word he loas forty- 

 five, if he was a day ! " 



My friend and I found we were looking at one 

 another very hard, for we both had to own to a 

 more advanced age, but it transpired that the hero 

 of the tale was the late Lord Connemara, who was 

 then, I believe, approaching his seventieth year. 



It must not be imagined that the Man who Hunts 

 to Ride is naturally a jealous rider. On the contrary, 

 he may be the readiest in the field to pull up and help 

 a friend, or even a stranger, in a difficulty, catch a 

 loose horse, get down and open a gate that cannot be 

 jumped, and, in fact, prove himself to be the good 

 fellow he so often is. But he has come out to have 

 his hunt, which means that he is going to follow a pack 

 of hounds wherever they go. These hounds are to race 

 at a great pace over the country, he hopes, and he is 

 going to stay as close to them as he possibly can ; that 

 is the game, and a glorious one it is, he thinks — better 

 than polo, if possible ; and, if there is plenty of fencing, 



