THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



one actually leaped on his quarters, for the purpose of licking 

 his huntsman's face.' 



There was another eminent sportsman in that country, whom 

 Frank Raby was anxious to see, and that pleasure was afforded 

 him. This was Sir Charles Knightly, one of the most fearless 

 and determined horsemen of the period to which we allude. On 

 two thorough-bred horses — Benvolio and St. Maronel — which 

 he rode for several seasons, he went straighter, perhaps, than 

 any other man over the country in which he hunted, and which 

 was one of the strongest in England as to fences, and this fact 

 is confirmed by the following declaration on his part. On some 

 one observing, in his presence, that the country in which he 

 hunted was very strong, but that the difficulty of crossing it 

 was, to a certain extent, lessened by the number of bridle-gates, 

 he coolly replied, that tlte only fault he found with it was in the 

 number of bridle and other gates with which it abounded. ' I 

 wish,' said he, ' every gate in the country was nailed up, and 

 then my hounds would not be incommoded by the crowd.' He 

 was not a master of hounds at the period to which we allude, 

 so that our hero had not an opportunity of observing him in 

 that capacity, but he took several lessons from him in the 

 practice of riding to hounds. 



' The straightest road is the best and easiest for your horse,' 

 he would say, ' until the hounds turn, when you should always 

 get a point in your favour, by being a little beforehand with 

 them at that moment.' 



Then a great treat was afforded to our young sportsman, in 

 witnessing a day with Mr. Musters, in the very celebrated wood- 

 lands of the country his hounds hunted. Strange to sa}', they 

 are dissected by avenues to the extent of seventy miles, in 

 various directions ; and being the property of a noble Duke, 

 himself a master of foxhounds, are never short of foxes. He 

 was fortunate in seeing a fox made to break from them by the 

 surprising energies of Mr. Musters, and, after facing the open 

 country, being up at his death, at the distance of twelve miles, 

 as the crow flies. 



Moving on, in his tour, our hero visited the Hertfordshire 

 hounds, then the Hampshire, and afterwards the Vine, with 

 each of which he saw some really good sportsmen, from several 

 of whom he gathered golden opinions, which served his pur- 

 poses through life. The scene of action with each of these 



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