404 SYSTE^I OF KENNEL AND 



kill and eat tlieir fox before tlie rear-guard got up, 

 supposing all had an equal start. But the fact is, 

 that although not quite so closely huddled together 

 •whilst running, as recorded in the "Memoirs of 

 another Tom Smith," that a man on horseback 

 could clear the whole lot and a five-barred gate at 

 one swoop ! foxhounds generally pack tolerably 

 well in chase ; and he who takes the tail hound for 

 his pioneer has no cause to be nervous about being 

 thrown out — only let him beware never to ride too 

 closely upon him, to prevent him keeping his place. 

 A great deal of trash has been written and said 

 about riding alongside of the leading couples, where 

 no one has a right to be — no, not even their hunts- 

 man — cui bono ? If a man has eyes in his head he 

 ought to be able to see, without being in such for- 

 bidden and dangerous proximity, whether they have 

 a scent before them or not. Twenty or thirty yards 

 to their right hand or left is sufficiently near, allow- 

 ing them space to turn on a sudden check and make 

 their own cast, without being ridden over in their 

 eagerness to recover the line. Hounds are rarely 

 ridden over by experienced sportsmen, the mischief 

 being done by steeplechasers — jealous and nervous 

 horsemen — solely occupied Avith their own thoughts 

 and the performances of their horses, without con- 

 sidering any further. Such continue pressing and 

 poking on, fearful of losing place, and to them a 

 sudden throw up at head is an intolerable disaster; 

 it lets other fellows in who happened to be out of 

 the start, placing them on an equality with them- 

 selves ; and on that account only they are so impa- 



