Hunting Manners and Customs. 441 



say, always go where the hounds go ; but that advice is rather too hard to be strictly 

 followed by a stranger. It is sound if some experienced member of the hunt shows the 

 way ; but there are covers into which no one is expected to follow the huntsman, and a 

 novice might make himself ridiculous, with scratched face and torn clothes, from pushing 

 through thorns and brambles, when there was a sure point outside, to which all the experi- 

 enced hands resorted. A huntsman always dislikes to have any one near him in eover, still 

 more to be asked any questions. 



While waiting at cover-side watching for the fox to break ; on no account holloa when you 

 first view him, or you will make him turn " back." Let him get well away, and then put 

 your hat on your whip and give one scream, if you know how — "Tally — ho — a- way!!!" You 

 put up your hat that the huntsman may know who saw him, as ten to one every one neai 

 will repeat " tally-ho ! " — like children seeing a balloon. Do not presume to leave your post 

 until the huntsman, with the body of the pack, comes up to the place where the fox went 

 away, in order to get a start with two or three couples of hounds. Be ready to tell him in 

 the fewest possible words exactly the line the fc/x took ; it is still better if you can show him 

 and only speak two words. The man who intentionally or unintentionally " heads " — that is, 

 turns back a fox — is sure to be the object of some very strong language. 



One of the greatest crimes a young sportsman can commit is to ride over a hound, and 

 the next greatest is to have a horse that kicks at either hounds or horses. Many young horses 

 will kick until accustomed to the hunting-field ; such should have dogs always in their stable. 



Until a man knows the country he will do well to take some experienced, well-mounted 

 member of the hunt — a farmer in a black coat for choice — as leader, but with one precaution 

 to be most strictly observed — to ride a few yards either to the right or left, as well as a few 

 yards behind the pilot, or if it is a country where the practicable places are few, and you 

 are obliged to take the same line as your pilot, then be very careful not to put your horse 

 at the fence until he is clear away. To select a man as pilot without his consent, and then 

 jump on him, is a piece of cowardly stupidity; it is no excuse that "you could not 

 hold your horse." If your horse is such a rusher that when you show him a fence he will 

 have it whether you mean it or not, it is your business to go first, or to go home. 



As soon as you reach cover-side take stock of the nature of the fences and the country, 

 and, as far as possible, make up your mind on your first two or three leaps. If there is one 

 gate through which a whole crowd of horsemen must crush, ride carelessly along the hedge- 

 row. Sometimes you may discover an unsuspected place in a thick bullfinch through which a 

 determined horse will push, or a clever one bore his way, and by one jump get a fair start. 



However anxious for a good start, the young stranger should take particular care not to 

 make any mistake, and, by being too eager and forward, incur the just wrath of the huntsman. 



The swelldom of Leicestershire, "fierce as eagles, jealous as girls," often outride the 

 hounds, and overrun the fox ; but these lines are not written for the benefit of swelldom, but 

 of young horsemen, who will not be spared coarse epithets when they spoil sport. For the 

 same reason, while riding as hard as you can, don't distract your mind with the performances 

 of the rest of the field ; attend to your own horse, and keep your eye on the hounds — that 

 is, the leaditig hounds — so as to turn as they turn, and pull up the moment they check. Be 

 sure to ride at least twenty yards, fifty is better, on one side or other of the line the hounds 

 are going. The nearer you are to the pack the further you should keep to the right or left 

 of them. If, by good riding or by a fluke, you are in the first flight, you will do yourself 

 more credit by pulling up short, standing still, and noticing e.xactly where the check occurred, 

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