The Foot-Harriers' Opening Meet 



across a steep hillside, hounds drive along packing 

 beautifully; on they go with never a pause, to flash 

 across a high wall and vanish into the very horizon. 

 It is only then one can fully appreciate the beauty of 

 their glorious music. 



The bog having served its purpose, everyone hastens 

 towards that high wall on the hill, from the top of which 

 one can command a panoramic view of the surrounding 

 country. It is during the process of reaching it that a 

 hunting horse's usefulness is brought home; and one 

 cannot help thinking that foot-hunting would be an 

 excellent apprenticeship for any young folk who intend 

 riding to hounds. A day's foot-hunting, more than 

 anything else, will implant in one an intelligent consi- 

 deration for horses. Reaching the objective, and very 

 much short of breath, one sees hounds a mile away, 

 streaking across a field of gold-tinted oat stubbles, and 

 one feels convinced that few horses could live with 

 these light-framed, mile-eating hounds over this network 

 of small fields and big fences. 



They are silent now. Faintly one can see them, 

 casting to and fro on the emerald after-grass of a tiny 

 hillock. With no one to offer them assistance, one 

 marvels at their indefatigable determination, working 

 out every inch of the line, every twist and caper of a 

 stout-running hare, with nothing to rely on only the 

 accuracy of their noses. Soon a hound speaks, and his 

 owner on the wall appraises him : " Good old Harper ! " 

 This may seem incredible when one can barely see 

 hounds, but every huntsman, young and old, can recog- 

 nise the tongue of each hound. Their ability to do so 



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