THE MASTER OF HOUNDS 93 



others who do wrong must be fully aware of the enor- 

 mity of what they are doing. 



The wilful over-rider who habitually gets too far for- 

 ward is the greatest pest which the modern master of 

 hounds has to contend with. He is to be found in 

 many countries, and when the field is really large he is 

 often present in considerable numbers. He is often 

 a fine horseman, or at all events a bold one, and it 

 seems to be his one idea that he should be first into and 

 first out of every field, and that no one should head 

 him between the fences. When there is a great scent 

 and hounds can travel faster than horses these men are 

 of course harmless as long as there is no falling off in 

 the pace, but as all hunting people are aware the slow- 

 ing down must come in time, and then it is that the 

 over-rider becomes such a nuisance. 



If hounds run into their fox at the end of a quick 

 burst, well and good ; but it more frequently happens 

 that after a few minutes at top speed the pace slackens 

 down a little. Perhaps the fox has turned abruptly 

 after going through a fence ; perhaps he has crossed a 

 field where sheep are grazing which have foiled the 

 line ; perhaps an area of bad scenting ground has been 

 reached, or hounds which have been running hard over 

 grass have entered on a tract of ploughed land. Any 

 of these alterations in the conditions of the hunt may 

 cause a check, or if not an actual check, a decided 

 change in the pace at which hounds have been travel- 

 ling. The over-rider has probably been in front all the 

 way, but he is not content with that, his chief idea now 

 being to maintain his place as soon as hounds begin to 

 run hard again. For that purpose he keeps pressing 

 on, and if he does not see the master he is quickly too 

 far forward, and in a position to force hounds beyond 



