THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 145 



or the road as it goes, according to their own pleasure. 

 — Out of a hundred merry faces, you will probably find 

 many who have ridden long distances, and are constantly 

 at great trouble and expense, out of pure love of the 

 sport. The whole field wears, at least, the appearance 

 of happiness, and, taking them all in all, they are 

 probably a better set of fellows than you could find 

 congregated together upon any other occasion. 



The place of meeting should never be too near the 

 covert intended to be drawn. No one should ride by 

 the side of it before the hounds are thrown off, as a 

 very old fox is easily disturbed ; and, when they are 

 drawing, in taking^ up a station, which will, of course, 

 be down wind, remember that it would have been too 

 much for the patience of Job to have had a fox headed 

 at his point of breaking. If hounds are drawing a wood 

 furnished with rides, it is highly desirable that all should 

 be within covert, excepting those placed officially to 

 view a fox away, which otherwise might steal off unseen. 

 If you are in a gorse, there is less occasion to depend on 

 your ears ; you can see all that is going on, with little 

 change of position ; and one side, that on which a fox 

 is most likely to break, should be left entirely open to 

 him. It is a farce to think of forcing a fox to take any 

 particular hne of country by compelling him to break in 

 that direction. 



" If lie will go, he will — yoii may depend on't ; 

 And if he won't, he won't — and there's an end on't." 



