68 HOUND AND HORN 



sharing them with an old hound who was hiding 

 behind his pony, but snatched off his cap in salu- 

 tation, which, as he could not replace, he crammed 

 into his pocket, and then extended a very rough 

 woolly and not overclean gloved hand in the Duke's 

 direction. The sixteen-hand hunter edged away from 

 the rough doormat of a pony ; but Bobby was not to 

 be bafQed, and urged his mount alongside, the Duke 

 good-naturedly bending forward and nearly over- 

 balancing himself as he stretched out his arm to 

 the persistent bo3^ Still the nervous horse shied 

 back and snorted. 



*' So ho, don't be afraid, old man," said Bobby, 

 as he succeeded in obtaining a firm grasp of the 

 hand, and wrung it with the fervour of an old com- 

 rade, and to an extent that nearly pulled the noble 

 Master out of his saddle. 



I have always experienced some difficulty in obtain- 

 ing a clear and connected account of a day's hunting 

 from those engaged in it — a difficulty amounting, at 

 times, to despair. If the questioned party belongs 

 to the gentle sex, the trouble is most acute, and 

 there is only slight hope of collecting a coherent 

 report, especially if there should happen to be 

 present another fair participator in the day's pro- 

 ceedings all too eager to recount her experiences. 



I am frequently forcibly reminded of the saying 

 of an old huntsman on this point, who was very 

 shrewd and observant, and who had a very terse 

 and direct way of putting things. It was as fol- 

 lows : " The merit of a run greatly depends upon 

 the position held in it by the narrator." Bearing 

 this in mind, I looked forward with something more 



