IgO THE HUNTING-FIELD. 



siires to some, and one of the draAvbacks to 

 others, of hare-hunting. In a general way there 

 is little apprehension required as to being thrown 

 out, or left behind. Hares on downs will certainly 

 sometimes go as straight as foxes ; it is a peculiar 

 character in Irish hares to do so, which makes 

 hare-hunting there, in a general way, a far supe- 

 rior sport to what it is with us. In an enclosed 

 country like this, hares have not far to go to feed ; 

 consequently, they know every field, and always, 

 in a larger or smaller space, make a ring of it, 

 as you will see madam puss will here, after 

 giving herself an airing over yonder hill. There 

 they go, straight into the plantation ; the Master, 

 as you see, has stopped his horse this side of it. 

 There goes Mullins into the cover. You can teU, 

 by the lessening sound of their tongues, they are 

 getting towards the other side. Now they turn 

 towards us again ; there she comes. Now that 

 young farmer has headed her ; so much the better, 

 as it\appens, for away she goes down the hill : 

 now she will give us a chivy across the grass fields 

 to Beacon Hill : out they come, now for a gallop. 

 Come,'' said I, our horses at three parts speed, 

 ^^ you must allow the little ones are not caught in 

 a canter ; the truth is, with a good scent, when 

 they can run breast high, they can go pretty 

 nearly as fast as fox-hounds, which proves the 

 justice of what I have told you before. All 



