THE FIELD 139 



day or of any special covert. In hunting, as in racing, 

 the unexpected frequently happens, and the good days 

 often occur not only from unlikely meets, but when the 

 general conditions have suggested that sport will be 

 poor. Besides which the man who expects much in 

 hunting is frequently disappointed, and vice versa. 

 Let the beginner reflect that if he has the leisure and 

 the horse, no meet should be missed, especially in the 

 middle of the season. He should not miss a Monday 

 meet because hounds are in better country on Tuesday 

 — unless, indeed, the Monday meet is so far away that 

 attending it would make a toil of a pleasure. For it 

 may be good hunting weather on Monday, while snow, 

 frost, or a deluge of rain spoil Tuesday altogether. 



In this connection we are always reminded of the 

 advice of a veteran hunting man, who is still riding 

 after hounds though in his eighty-seventh year. We 

 once remarked in his hearing that we were saving a 



horse to go with the on Friday. The veteran 



got quite excited. "I once did that," he exclaimed; 

 " but on Friday they were skating instead of hunting. 

 The frost did not last long, and on the following Friday 

 hounds were at the kennels. That was twenty miles 

 off, and I did not go, but I sent a horse on on Friday 

 night for the Saturday meet, and drove there the next 

 morning. When I got to the place the hunter was 

 lame, so I put his saddle on the trapper, and an hour 

 later he fell with me at a little place, broke his knees 

 and lamed himself. I had to leave him at a farmhouse, 

 where I borrowed a horse to drive home with. He 

 slipped upon some newly laid stones, cut his knees, 

 and I had to walk him the last three or four miles. 

 Hounds had the run of the season on the Friday, and 

 the second best run of the season on the Saturday, and 



