362 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



that kind. With such miitaal confidence, it was 

 not surprising to find the working of the establish- 

 ment in such harmonious order. 



Jem, from his position as first whip, being at 

 the far end of the plantation when the fox first 

 broke away, had got the first start with the hounds, 

 and it was his business to keep close to them, but 

 not to interfere with their proceedings before the 

 huntsman came up ; and he had been too well in- 

 structed to think of handling them so long as they 

 could feel a scent. Being a light weight also, he 

 could ride down hill — the most dangerous of all 

 riding — much faster than thirteen stone would con- 

 sider necessary ; and hounds, having nothing to 

 carry, can go down declivities much faster than 

 horses with their riders. The hill overhanging the 

 vale was nearly as steep as the roof of a slate-covered 

 house ; and Will Headman effected his descent by 

 making use of his horse's hind legs as a sledge — for, 

 knowing the danger of sidelings on such an emer- 

 gency to be productive of sidelong rollings and over- 

 turnings, he put his head straight, his hocks and 

 tail acting the part of rudder. A horse cannot fall 

 forward going down hill if held in this position, and 

 it is equally obvious that he cannot fall backwards, 

 if properly guided. Let him diverge to the right or 

 left, and " earth-biting '^ is the certain result ; and 

 the rollings and catastrophes to the unskilled in 

 horsemanship were grievous to relate. 



Once down the hill, Headman felt, like many 

 others, a deal more comfortable in his saddle, and 

 the strides of his Newmarket second soon brought 



