The Marquis de Chamhray's Hounds 313 



American school or college except in a vague sort of a way, 

 for as we have already shown only about one college boy in 

 twelve goes in for field sports. 



We may grant that it is too bad that even a chicken-thief 

 fox or an old stag should contribute his life to this upbuilding, 

 but they are only a drop in the bucket compared with the hun- 

 dreds of thousands that are butchered daily for the upbuilding 

 of our physical natures. And of the two we do not think it 

 too much to say that a day's ride to hounds, even if the life of 

 dumb animals taken in the chase pays the price, will do more 

 for the bodily upbuilding of the followers than all the butchered 

 meat that the same number of persons will consume for the 

 day. 



It ma}^ be argued by some who approve of the healthful 

 exercise of horseback riding, but who will not tolerate the chase 

 of a dumb animal, that a person might ride fifteen to fifty 

 miles four or five days a week on the highway in lieu of the 

 chase; hut they won't. A person might walk five to twenty 

 miles a day on the highway, as many do in the chase of a ball 

 on a golf course, but they won't and probably couldn't if they 

 would. Some claim they can follow a golf ball all the after- 

 noon with less fatigue than a walk of a few blocks for the sake 

 of walking. 



Returning to the horseback rider, he might be permitted to 

 take some dogs along for company and make his horse jump 

 a few fences and ditches by way of supplying added interest 

 to riding for exercise. He might also indulge his hunting 

 instincts by riding through a few coverts with a view of starting 

 or seeing some game. He might do all these things, hut he 

 won't. 



No, there is still lacking that incentive so essential to last- 

 ing enjoj^ment: the indescribable something that produces un- 

 flagging interest, is still missing. On the other hand, it is plain 

 to anyone that the followers of the chase grow and thrive by 



