216 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



be expected to do mucli, altlioiigli very often mucli is required 

 of them. A new master of hounds, also, unless he has already 

 been broken in to his business, has a very difficult card to play. 

 A man may have ridden half his life after hounds, and be con- 

 sidered a good sportsman, but the management of an establish- 

 ment is altogether another affair ; he must make up his mind 

 at once, therefore, for rough usage, hard work, and few thanks. 

 He will find plenty of would-be masters in the field, and the 

 chances are, that his huntsman will also be master at home in 

 the kennel, and his stud-groom master in the stable. If master 

 himself in his own house, he may think himself tolerably well 

 off. Domiis et jjlacens uxor is a sure and happy relief after all 

 the toils and troubles of a hard day are over. Should the last 

 of these blessings be denied him, the office of a railway porter 

 is a sinecure in comparison with his. 



It is, no doubt, with many, a very fine thing to be placed at 

 the head of affairs in a country, which position masters of fox- 

 hounds are supposed by their brother fox-hunters to occupy, 

 and many an aspirant for this hio-h ambition has soon found his 

 vanity oozing out — like Falstaff's courage — at his fingers' ends 

 when he comes "to pay the piper." Unless a man is really fond 

 of hounds — that is, of the dogs themselves — and takes an in- 

 terest in all they do, from the moment they find a fox in the 

 morning, and rides with them — not for the sake of riding, but 

 because he takes delight in witnessing every cast or hit they 

 make, — he had better take my advice, and leave others to keep 

 hounds who do. From my own experience, accompanied with 

 many more kicks than kisses, and after a hard campaign in 

 many a well-fought field with victorious results, nearly thirty 

 years' probation may entitle me to give a little advice to others. 

 It is this — never keep a subscription pack of fox-hounds. _ I 

 may even add — never keep fox-hounds at all. Why, then, write 

 about fox-hunting ! He who has ever ridden a runaway, hard- 

 pulling horse, may possibly understand that, as he could not 

 mill him up, the next most satisfactory thing to know was that 

 he could guifle him. 



I am not like a merry rider, who once attempting a wide im- 

 practicable old hollow lane, which had only the appearance of 

 a common fence, fell in, horse and self, of course. Another, 

 following in his wake, shared the same fate ; but when landed 

 safely at the bottom, began hallooing out. " Hold your tongue, 

 you fool !" exclaimed the first occupant ; " we shall have the 

 place full presently, and then we may get out— there is no 

 chance without it." I do not wish to entice others to follow my 

 example, but as I know it will be done (in keeping hounds, I 



