THE CHACE. 
used to ride one of his thousand-guinea hunters in his 
wake if we may so express ourselves in the field, 
to which he changed his seat at the first convenient 
opportunity. The system, however, has been improved 
upon since then. The second-horse man now rides to 
points, instead of following the hounds, and thus often 
meets his master at a most favourable moment, when his 
good steed is sinking, with one that has not been out of 
a trot. There is much humanity as well as comfort in 
this arrangement ; for at the pace hounds now go over 
grass countries, horses become somewhat distressed 
under heavy weights in a short time after the chace 
begins, when the scent lies well, and they are manfully 
ridden up to the pack. 
About an hour and a half after the servants are gone 
forward with the hunters, a change of scene is to be 
observed at Melton. Carriages and four appear at some 
doors ; at others very clever, and, most commonly, 
thorough-bred hacks, led gently in hand, ready for their 
owners to mount. The by-roads of this country being 
bad for wheels, the hack is often the better conveyance 
of the two always, indeed, unless the fixture be at a 
place on, or not far from, a turnpike-road ; and twelve 
or fourteen miles are generally performed by him within 
the hour. 
The style of your Meltonian fox-hunter has long 
distinguished him above his brethren of what he calls 
the provincial chace. When turned out of the hands of 
his valet, he presents the very beau-ideal of his caste. 
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