HUNTING 131 



onlooker at the game, with no pretence of 

 knowledge or hard riding, it is a marvel how 

 few people look at that side of it, or seem to 

 know or care what hounds are doing or 

 why. 



This is a digression, and my object is rather 

 to chronicle a few of my own small experi- 

 ences and impressions than to enter into the 

 ethics and philosophies of hunting. All the 

 same, it is an enticing subject, and a truthful 

 census taken of the question, "What is your 

 object in going out hunting ? " would be an 

 interesting sidelight on human nature gener- 

 ally. A few answers would be to hunt and 

 catch the fox; a large proportion to gallop and 

 jump; a still larger to gallop and not to 

 jump ; still another lot to see their friends 

 and coffee-house. My own answer is, to 

 watch hounds hunt their fox, so long as the 

 pace does not pump me nor the obstacles 

 frighten me. 



It may be utterly wrong, but to me it is a 

 greater pleasure to be at the head of a slow 

 hunt, where I can see hounds working, than in 



