RIDING ON EXMOOR. 353 



can only be crossed by a horse at speed at certain 

 points where there are paths and well recognised 

 crossings. To try to take a horse across some of 

 the deep, awkward combes wherever hounds might 

 happen to go would inevitably either stop the horse 

 from exhaustion, or lose so much time that the rider 

 would most probably never see hounds again. To 

 entrust oneself absolutely to a pilot is to surrender 

 half the interest in hunting, but a stranger, riding 

 generally according to his own judgment, need not 

 scorn local guidance over an intricate crossing, or 

 through a wood, or even over a bit of deep ground. 

 There are always plenty of riders out who know the 

 moor, and are capable of going as hard as any man 

 in reason can desire. A stranger will always be wise 

 to get someone to point out to him a few of the men 

 who can be depended upon to be in the first flight, 

 and afterwards, if he see these men, and particularly 

 the hunt servants, avoiding a bit of ground which 

 apparently lies in the direct route, he will be wise in 

 following them ; they know what they are doing and 

 they do not go out of the way without a reason for 

 doing so. 



,A good many strangers, distrustful of their own 

 judgment, very wisely rely entirely on following some 

 well-known member of the hunt. To some of these 

 a word of warning may possibly be useful. 



They should remember that the pilot they have 

 chosen comes out to enjoy his own day's hunting, 

 and not for the purpose of piloting people of whom 



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