204 THE POCKET AND THE STUD. 



But beyond this with fox-hounds, though the 

 man who can only get one day a week fervently 

 prays that may not be a blank one, such 

 an event is of vast relief to the horse, for his 

 condition may be quite good enough to enable him 

 to bear fatigue, though such as to render severe 

 calls on his lungs an almost certain prelude to 

 fatal results. And such is the case with stag- 

 hounds, whose great recommendation to many 

 men is the certainty of a run. I had seven suc- 

 cessive seasons of stag-hunting ; it is true I only 

 hunted one day a week with them, and this be- 

 cause they only hunted that one day in my part 

 of their country ; but then my nags were always 

 up to the mark for them, if even the Hendon 

 deer were uncarted, as I could always get two days 

 a week with fox-hounds, and had harriers within 

 reach, independent of the then King's which 

 always hunted one day a week in Windsor Park, 

 so the want of proper exercise and practice was 

 no excuse for me or my horses when we went 

 badly. And if such was the case, which doubt- 

 less it was more frequently than for my credit it 

 ought to be, what can be expected where neither 

 man nor horse has as good a chance ? Candour 

 compels me to allow that when I had the best 

 of it, I deserved little credit ; and when the worst, 

 that I did my part like a regular muff. 



Let us now look at another plan; and see, 



