322 GUN, RIFLE, AND HOUND. 



Consequently the sport begins about two miles out, at 

 the hill known as the Queen of Spain's Chair. From 

 this to north and east stretches a long series of wild, 

 rocky ranges, the going becoming worse the further 

 north one goes. To the north of west, however, it 

 is different. There an hour's ride brings one into the 

 first of a long series of cork-forests, and in those dis- 

 tricts the hunting is not unlike woodland sport at home. 



It goes without saying that the country I have 

 described is practically unfenced. It must not, how- 

 ever, be supposed on that account that the riding is 

 free from danger. To live with hounds one must ride 

 up and down those sort of places which are often 

 described as "as steep as the side of a house." The 

 best going may be a mule or goat track the worst 

 a Titanic pile of loose rocks. Down these the clever 

 little horses of the country go easily, slipping down 

 here, jumping there, or bucking over a big rock. But 

 an attempt to guide them is sure to result in a fall. 

 To a new-comer the place seems awful, in a fortnight 

 it seems nothing. I once overheard one man in a 

 newly-landed regiment remark to another : " Just look 

 how that fellow rides ! " The fellow was myself, for 

 hounds, having just found, I was going best pace 

 through a covert of high broom, interspersed with 

 huge rocks. In about a week the speaker had learnt 

 equal confidence in his mount. 



Clever as the horses are, it must not be supposed 

 that serious falls do not happen. In fact, at the 

 period I speak of the Huntsman, Payne, had a tre- 

 mendous crumpler, breaking several bones. From 



