354 THE RED DEER OE EXMOOR. 



he knows nothing, so they should not follow him in 

 such a way as to destroy his enjoyment, which they 

 may very easily and quite unwittingly do. It is 

 hardly necessary to suggest that the pilot should 

 be given room to fall without being ridden over. 

 But beyond this he should be given room to pull 

 up suddenly, or alter his course without being 

 bumped into. It is worse to ride close to the 

 leading horse's flank than it is to ride stride for 

 stride behind him, for if the leading horse has to 

 be pulled out suddenly to avoid a hole a collision is 

 inevitable. It is no uncommon thing to see some 

 of those who have suffered most severely from being 

 unfairly ridden after, plunging down the steepest 

 places, or galloping over the worst ground they can 

 find in the endeavour, frequently successful, to shake 

 off their following. More than one rider, whose 

 popularity as a pilot has become more than he could 

 bear, has been driven to ride straight home, losing 

 the run altogether. 



These, however, are extreme cases, but there are 

 one or two ways in which thoughtless riders may 

 interfere with their pilot, and consequently with them- 

 selves, which may probably appeal to them more 

 directly. In woodlands this is especially so, and 

 when hounds are out of sight. The pilot may pull 

 up to listen for hounds, when he frequently is 

 immediately surrounded by his following, who begin 

 to chatter loudly. In vain he may move on again 

 and again trying to listen ; all he can hear is a 



