HORSES AXD HOUNDS. 133 



is thus killed in covert whicli would have left the members of a 

 cigar divan far enough in the rear had they given him a chance. 

 I have known some men head a fox back because they were 

 actually afraid of a run. It is quite true, although it sounds 

 strange. It is absurd to suppose that every man who makes 

 his appearance at the covert side is a sportsman. Some go for 

 one reason, some for another ; but there is not one man out of 

 twenty who either knows or cares anything about the hounds or 

 the sport. Thus a gentleman huntsman with one aim in view, 

 to afford satisfaction to all, not only finds little or no assist- 

 ance from those who ought to accord it, but is often foiled in 

 all his endeavours, and called a fool into the bargain. A young 

 gentleman who had mounted his scarlet for the first season, was 

 once finding fault with my performances, and turning to an old 

 and experienced fox hunter, said, "I don't think that chap 

 (meaning me) knows anything about his business." " How the 

 deuce should he ?" replied my friend ; " he has been all his life 

 nearly at it, and I never heard he was considered a fool, either 

 at school or college ! !" This satisfied the young gentleman, who 

 had been rather unsuccessful in his little go the last term, and had 

 left Oxford in disgust because it was too sloiv a place for him. 



Some masters of excitable temper cannot help giving a bit of 

 damson pie sometimes, but it is better left alone ; andif a man 

 cannot hunt his hounds without swearing, I should advise him to 

 let others do it who can keep their temper. I once, when young 

 and ardent, administered a dose of this kind to a very worthy 

 farmer, without at that time knowing who he was. We were 

 running the only fox left in that part of the country, and he was 

 trying to break where this man had posted himself with some 

 others. I had hallooed to them before to leave the spot, but they 

 either did not hear me or understand what I meant, and at last 

 one of them turned the fox back, right into the hounds' mouths. 

 I could hold it no longer, but out came a rattler at Farmer Steers 

 for a fool. " What's that you are saying, young gentleman V 

 cried the farmer ; " I didn't come out to be d— d." The rejoinder 

 w^as on my lips, " Then go home and be d — d," as a certain 

 squire once said to a sporting tradesman who was doing mischief 

 in the New Forest ; but I checked myself and said no more. Not 

 so, however, the farmer, who was well to do in the world, and 

 lived on his own farm. He talked it over pretty freely after- 

 wards, and was in a great rage, declaring he would notice me off 

 his land, and kill every fox in the country. This he need not 

 have added, as the one we had just eaten happened to be the 

 " Last of the Mohicans"— just thereabouts. 



About a fortnight after this occurrence I went again into the 



