96 TALES OF THE TURF AND THE CHASE. 



a good country. Again, the hunting-field is the most admirably 

 contrived species of discipline for the temper. Displays of irri- 

 tation or annoyance are promptly and effectively rebuked ; and 

 the man who cannot bear with fitting humility the reprimand, 

 when it is merited, of the master or huntsman, will not have 

 long to wait for the demonstrative disapproval of his compeer. 



Hunting has been classed amongst those sports — detestata 

 viatrihis — by reason of the intrinsic risk which it involves. Is 

 it in any degree more dangerous than cricket or football, shoot- 

 ing or Alpine climbing? In Great Britain and Ireland there are 

 at present exactly two hundred and twenty packs of hounds. 

 Of these some hunt as often as five days a week, others not more 

 frequently than two. The average may probably be fixed at 

 the figure three. Roughly the hunting season lasts twenty-five 

 weeks, while it may be computed that at least ninety horsemen 

 go out with each pack. We thus have one million four hundred 

 and fifty-eight thousand as the total of the occasions on which 

 horse and rider feel the perils of the chase. ' If,' says Mr. 

 Anthony TroUope, in the course of some admirable remarks on 

 the subject, ' we say that a bone is broken annually in each hunt, 

 and a man killed once in two years in all the hunts together, 

 we think that we exceed the average of casualties. At present 

 there is a spirit abroad which is desirous of maintaining the 

 manly excitement of enterpise in which some peril is to be 

 encountered, but which demands at the same time that it should 

 be done without any risk of injurious circumstances. Let us 

 have the excitement and pleasure of danger, but for God's sake 

 no danger itself This, at any rate, is unreasonable.' 



These observations have somewhat diverted me from the 

 thread of the original narrative. Should, however, the reader 

 desire more precise information as to the particular line of 

 country taken up by the fox on that eventful day with the 

 Chipping Ongar hounds, will he not find it written for him in 

 the pages of ' Bell' ? 



So we met, so we hunted, and so we rode home and dined ; 

 and if any person who is not entirely a stranger to horses wishes 

 to enjoy a few days' active recreation and healthy holidays, he 

 cannot, I would submit, for the reasons which I have above 

 attempted to enumerate, do better than go dovvn to the Lion at 

 Chipping Ongar, and get a few days with the Chipping Ongar 

 hounds. 



