232 A HUNTING CATECHISM 



most necessary to be on the alert to get away on 

 good terms with the hounds, for if a large field is 

 out, and you are unfortunately so far away that it 

 is impossible to get a clear course at once, the run 

 may be more than half over before it is possible 

 to extricate yourself from the crowd. Then it is 

 that a horse with an extra turn of speed is so 

 useful ; and it must be made the most of to 

 catch up the pack, after which the horse will 

 probably not be extended to that degree that he 

 will be unable to get his second wind. Hounds 

 very seldom indeed keep up such a continuous 

 pace that those actually with them do not get 

 plenty of opportunities to get an " easy," such as 

 never occurs in riding a steeplechase ; but those 

 who are struggling to get up to them, and are still 

 two or three fields behind, get no such welcome 

 chances, and have to keep galloping on without 

 any rest. It pays better, therefore, to put on a 

 spurt at starting and reach hounds as soon as 

 possible than to keep toiling on some distance 

 behind. Whether, however, it is possible to carry 

 out this plan without taking too much out of your 

 steed can only be decided by the circumstances 

 of the moment. 



Careful watch must always be kept on the 

 leading hounds, and if they hesitate and drop 

 back into the pack, be prepared for a sudden turn, 

 or a check. It is always well to keep on the 

 down-wind side of the hounds, for a fox turns 

 away from his line as often by hearing, or smell- 

 ing danger, as by seeing it ; though sometimes 

 what is likely to head the fox, such as a man 

 ploughing, may be discerned some distance ahead, 

 down-wind of his line, and as then he will have 

 to turn up-wind when he notices the man, it is 



