12 The Hunting Countries of England, 



the J do from start to finisli. Of three liundred men 

 at tlie start from a covertside, possibly half are 

 imbued with this desire. Lucky the hounds and the 

 huntsman, if they are allowed to get clear — before 

 the thundering mass bursts forward in pursuit, and 

 dashes itself against the first fence. In this fence 

 there may, with luck, be half a dozen practicable 

 openings. Half a dozen men are over in no time, 

 two dozen more are over in fair time, while ten dozen 

 others — taking their turn, as they can, with courtesy, 

 snatch it — are over by the time hounds are well out 

 of view. The same scene, in a modified or, it may be 

 concentrated, form, repeats itself at the next fence 

 and at others in quick succession — till soon the half 

 dozen are sailing along as near the pack as they can 

 be, or ought to be ; and a moiety of the next two 

 dozen are close enough in their wake to obtain an 

 occasional glimpse of a tail hound. Of the eleven 

 dozen, a few have fallen, some have funked, many 

 have taken a false turn, and the rest follow on — either 

 complacently ready to chime in again at a first check, 

 or dismally conscious that they have seen nothing of 

 what they came out to see. How many then of the 

 three hundred can fairly be said to have been with 

 hounds in this fifteen minutes^ burst ? Six are there 

 to pull up when a first check occurs ! But the dozens 

 of raging sportsmen in pursuit know nothing of the 

 check, till, in their joy at having caught the leaders, 

 they sweep round and pass the hounds ; and unless 

 the huntsman is quick and decided the chances are 

 that these fifteen minutes constitute the whole of the 

 run. 



