THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 161 



Lave been inclining. Look up the hedge green, — " hoic ! 

 hoic ! to Handmaid." She has hit him off, with Eitual 

 and Baneful ; she is running mute ; they are all at him 

 again, as though he were just fresh found. 



And now is the scurry for the second heat. Hold 

 hard, gentlemen, one moment ; let them get together — 

 let them settle again ; but this is too much to expect. 

 When a burst has lasted beyond ten minutes, the field 

 become very orderly and select ; they sober down won- 

 derfully if the scent be really good, and make a merit of 

 what is akin to necessity, in the room which they allow 

 the hounds ; but with second wind, gained just in the 

 beginning of a really good thing, with a fair chance of 

 distancing the second flight, who have only just come 

 up, without any hope of a pull, where is the use of cry- 

 ing, '' Hold hard" ? " Diim vivimus, vivamus," we must 

 live with them while we can. Onward they push — some 

 level with the leading hound, and the others clattering 

 straight after them, in a manner which might drive 

 them on to Highgate, where they not too steady to be 

 capable of running far without a scent ; but there is no 

 harm done as yet ; the majority of this first flight are as 

 anxious to avoid mischief as the master or huntsman 

 can be ; if it were hunting upon a cold scent they would 

 be more manageable — allowance must be made for the 

 intoxication of the burst. The hounds are flying up a 

 hedge green, half a mile in length ; horses are again 

 extended ; when, lo ! there is again a pause, not a check, 

 it does not amount to that, nor does it last as long as 



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