SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 319 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



The New Year's gift of '61 — " Keep moving," tlie cry of the day — 

 Galloping down a fox not foxhunting — Spirit of hounds — 

 Variety of foxes — "Will Headman has a difficult game to play. 



In our last cliapter we attempted a delineation of a 

 fox chase over a good country, and tinder favourable 

 circumstances, the scent being sufficiently good 

 to keep the majority of the field at a respectful 

 distance ; in fact, the pace throughout continued so 

 fast, that the best riders — and there were some good 

 ones out — were unable to get near the hounds. 

 Had the run taken place over the open, the first 

 flight men would have been there or thereabouts ; 

 but when a fox pursues his course through large 

 coverts with blind drives, and those few and far 

 between, spick and span foxhunters show a decided 

 disinclination to have their pinks nearly torn oft' 

 their backs by encounters with blackthorns and 

 brambles, besides the disfigurement to the os frontis 

 likely to result therefrom. It is imperative on a 

 huntsman to foxhounds always to be with them ; 

 and he has more work to do with head and hand 

 than the first whipper-in, whose position, compara- 

 tively speaking, is a very easy one. Jem might 

 smoke his pipe, if he dare, on the outside of the big 



