country. 



12 THE WARWICKSHIRE HOUNDS, 



^I^-JoyN Corbet came up not much after the end, and Mr. Thos. Handley, 



* of Barford, on a clever chesnut, and Mr. Joseph 



Russell, of Grove Fields, on a brown splint-legged 

 horse, were also in good places. 



His way across Mr. Corbet had a peculiar way of crossing country. 

 Although he would not leap, he would gallop as fast as 

 any, and showed no small share of nerve, as well as 

 hand. In fact, there is little doubt that he possessed 

 the art of galloping, in which lies half the secret of 

 seeing what hounds are doing. Those who believe that 

 a place at the finish of a hard run is only to be acquired 

 by flying at all obstacles presented, may smile to be 

 told that it may be almost equally obtained by showing 

 them the shoulder. That this was, and we may say still 

 is, the case, may be seen by the fact that Mr. Corbet 

 generally saw his foxes pulled down. Neither must he 

 be allowed to lie under the reproach of lack of nerve, 

 for riding, as he did, at a splitting pace along rough 

 lanes and stony roads, does not fall far short in the 

 demands it makes upon that quality of a man, of the 

 negociation of a bullfinch or ox-rail. Neither, indeed, 

 did Mr. Corbet enjoy an immunity from falls. Several, 

 and some of them awkward ones, fell to his lot during 

 the season. Like another worthy master of the War. 

 wickshire of more recent times, he was not ashamed of 

 owning to a knowledge of every gate in his country, 

 and, after what has been said above, I do not think my 

 readers will see the slightest cause for shame in either 

 case. It is, indeed, astonishing how well some can 

 ride to hounds and enjoy an excellent day's sport, 

 and at the same time indulge in only a minimum of 

 fencing. 



On coming to a fence he did not like the look of, but 

 which he meantto attempt, and seeing one he knew going 

 at it, he would say, "Thank ye, sir. I am very much 

 obliged to you, you'll just catch my horse." This just 

 catching the horse displayed a laudable loyalty to the 

 master, as it often cost the individual the run. There is 



