ON HUNTING. 155 



" The popular notion of a fox-hunt is as unlike the 

 reality as a girFs notion of war — a grand charge and a 

 splendid victory. 



" Pictures always represent exciting scenes — hounds 

 flying away with a burning scent; horses taking at a 

 bound, or tumbling neck and crop over, frightful fences. 

 Such lucky days, such bruising horsemen, such bm-ning 

 scents and flying foxes are the exception. 



" At least two-thirds of those who go out, even in the 

 most fashionable counties, never attemj^t brooks or five- 

 barred gates, or anything difficult or dangerous ; but, 

 by help of open gates and bridle-roads, which are plen- 

 tiful, parallel lanes, and gaps, which are conveniently 

 made by the first rush of the straight riders and the 

 dealers with horses to sell, helped by the curves that 

 hounds generally make, and a fair knowledge of the 

 country, manage to be as near the hounds as the most 

 thrusting horseman. Among this crowd of skirters and 

 road-riders are to be found some very good sportsmen, 

 who, from some cause or other, have lost their nerve ; 

 others, who live in the county, like the excitement and 

 society, but never took a jump in their lives; young 

 ladies with their papas ; boys on ponies ; farmers edu- 

 cating four-year-olds ; surgeons and lawyers, who are 

 looking for professional i^ractice as well as sport. On 

 cold scenting days, with a ringing fox, this crowd keeps 

 on until nearly dark, and heads many a fox. Many a 

 beginner, in his first season, has been cheated by a suc- 

 cession of these easy days over an easy part of the 

 county into the idea that there was no difficulty in 

 riding to hounds. But a straight fox and a burning 

 scent over a grass country has undeceived him, and left 

 him in the third or fourth field with his horse half on a 



