ETIQUETTE 13 



will occur to the minds of those who are now 

 middle-aged. A happier sequel to an accident — 

 which might easily have also had a fatal result — 

 once came within the experience of the writer, 

 and may be woi'tli recounting : — 



A fox had broken away from a small spinney, 

 the field consequently getting all away together, 

 and we were apparently in for a fast gallop, 

 when the fox was suddenly seen returning right 

 through the crowd of horses, so that every one 

 had to pull up and retrace their steps, and those 

 who were first now became last, as they walked 

 back towards the covert. I was proceeding 

 leisurely along, expecting the fox to be headed 

 in every direction, and that the hounds would 

 probably chop him in covert, when a sudden 

 movement amongst the foremost horsemen gave 

 warning that the fox had escaped his fate, and 

 was again away, running for his life. Having 

 this time got such a very bad start it seemed no 

 use to hurry until there was a chance of nicking 

 in. I therefore cantered quietly down to a 

 rather high bank, with a wide ditch full of water 

 on the taking-off side, over which the hard riders 

 had just jumped, while those whose discretion 

 was better than their nerves were scurrying away 

 as fast as their steeds could gallop, to circumvent 

 the obstacle. I was some way behind everybody, 

 and thought I was quite alone, when just as I was 

 going to send my horse at the leap I suddenly 

 became aware that some one far away on my left 

 was also going at the same fence. Long habit 

 causes one always to observe in a casual way 

 whether a horse gets safely over a fence, without 

 actually thinking about it or watching it, and 

 though my attention was concentrated on jumping 



