86 



HUNTING. 



The huntsman should never be mounted, for a mounted 

 huntsman will always, in some degree, spoil the sport for those 

 on foot. 



In the first place hounds will generally get away more quickly 

 and go faster with a horse behind or alongside of them, and this 

 is a little hard on the runners. The case is harder still at a check. 

 A man may have toiled bravely after the pack for some twenty 

 minutes or so, and is congratulating himself on their having 

 checked at last. Fancy the feelings of this poor fellow if the 



'A little hard on the runners.' 



hounds are at once cast at a hand canter, and hit off the line 

 before he has had a moment to recover his wind ! Worst of all 

 is it if, the cast having been unsuccessful, a holloa is heard at 

 the distance of some half-mile or more, and perhaps uphill all 

 the way. Off gallops the huntsman, and if he be excited may 

 add insult to injury by shouting to the brave runner to * put 

 'em to him ' when he has hardly got enough steam left in him 

 to crawl after the fast disappearing pack. This is grievous 

 indeed, and shows the advisability of the huntsman sharing the 

 toil with his fellow-sportsmen. 



It may here be of some assistance to make a few remarks 



