6 ECHOES OF SPORT 



must betoken scent, the music of hounds in 

 a purpling covert or bristling gorse, a slim, 

 tawny form slipping full split away. Soon 

 your blood is tingling with the surge of gallop- 

 ing hoofs to the rhythm of which there is no 

 equal on earth ; the best horse you have ever 

 ridden stretching out beneath you strong and 

 smooth with the manners of a queen, the neck 

 and shoulders of a racehorse, " quarters to lift 

 you smack over a town," and land you into 

 the middle of the next field at every fence. 

 When we come to finding the keynote that of 

 hunting will be found to have an essential 

 characteristic different from all other forms of 



sport. 



The kaleidoscope turns again. In a clear 

 September afternoon we take our way to the 

 high stubble fields that flank the moor. The 

 stocks gleam gold against the surrounding 

 purple and blue of the hills. By a grey dyke 

 we build ourselves a little zareba of heather 

 and bracken, so that the birds shall fly unsus- 

 pecting over us for their evening meal of fat 

 corn. Then we sit down and wait. 



