The Hursley. 85 



happen to him in any country is to be ^' bustled off bis 

 legs '' in the first twenty minutes. Here he has no 

 chance of dodging to recover his wind and distance. 

 There is nothing to cover_, prompt^ or assist^ his flank 

 march. He can be seen for miles on the open hillside ; 

 and merely plays into the hands of his enemies by 

 turning short. Meanwhile a racing pack has been 

 stretching along in his wake' — every hound going up 

 to the front, and every hound in better training than 

 the object of pursuit. Thus a quick pack need never 

 ask for more than five-and-thirty minutes to twist up 

 an old fox over the downs — be the downs Hursley, 

 Hambledon, Tedworth_, or Craven — given the two 

 named conditions of a good start and a proper scent. 

 True, all the needful conditions don^t come every day. 

 If they did, we should all turn out to overrun Hamp- 

 shire — especially in the case of hot-headed old age, 

 failing nerve, or a better term, matured judgment. 

 We should buy a galloper, and fling field after 

 field behind us as gaily as when in early life we 

 sought distinction from Melton Spinney or Waterloo 

 Gorse — and found it at the first unexpected oxer. 



It is in wet weather that hounds can do most justice 

 to themselves over the open down — or, more properly, 

 wold — of the '^ top country," by which name that 

 part of the Hursley above Winchester is generally 

 known. The ground mast be thoroughly damp to 

 hold a scent to which they can race. To be ready for 

 such occasions, hounds, and horses too, should be not 

 only speedy, but fit. And, besides being built to skim 

 over the ground, each must have feet calculated to 

 withstand the flints, which crop up to the surface so 



