A Day With the Genesee Valley Hounds 115 



see that Reynard's point is the dreaded "Seven Gullies." Only 

 the best eonditioned horses and riders go on with the game. 



^Ve raee away up the crest of the hill and by the time we 

 reach there, "There's many a bellows to mend." What an 

 awful hole this first gully is! Dismount and scramble down 

 the best you can, for the sides are as steep as a mansard roof. 

 Well done, but what a dark damp dismal place it is in the 

 bottom! However, there is nothing to do for it, but to harden 

 your heart and follow your leader as best you can, hanging 

 on to your horse's tail to help you up. Thanks to the stout 

 heart of your mount and your own stock of grit and courage, 

 you at last arrive at the top on the opposite side. This ravine 

 has broken the heart of more than one resolute rider and sent 

 him and his good mount home with more than enough. 



Just as we expected, now we are out of this gully we are at 

 the brink of another gully still more difficult to climb. There 

 is nothing to do for it but go on with the game until the 

 Master says, "Well, gentlemen, what say you alii Have you 

 had enough?" The few who are left say to a man, "It's 

 enough," but just then the hounds who have been out of hear- 

 ing in some one of the seven gullies are heard returning. 

 "Wait a moment," cries the ISIaster, "hounds are running and 

 are, I think, coming this way." All thoughts of home are 

 banished. Once more our barometer goes up from zero 

 with such a rush as to threaten going through the top of the 

 glass. 



A warning hand from the ]Master bids everyone to keep 

 perfectly still. Here come the hounds at full cry, while less 

 than ten rods ahead of them comes the artful dodger, who runs 

 nearly onto the riders before he discovers his error. To turn 

 back against the pack is death, the next best thing for him to 

 do is to take to the o])en fields to the east and this he does, 

 cheered on by all the riders who race after him with a view of 

 driving him out of the gullies. On come the hounds, who rush 



