PECULIARITIES. 191 



of barriers must never take his eyes off their 

 ^Yorking^ or, in case of a check, he will not know 

 what to do. Fox-hounds run to a far greater 

 certainty, so a huntsman has opportunity to attend 

 to his riding and his horse. The hare-hunting 

 huntsmen, thinking only of their game and hounds, 

 usually get into one of two faults, — they either 

 bore at their horse's mouth to assist themselves 

 in a loose and careless seat, till the animal has no 

 more mouth than a pig ; or they leave him to 

 himself, without regard to ground, or how he is 

 going on it : those few who ride well make the 

 handiest hunters in the world of their horses : for 

 instance, Mr. Davis, who hunted the king's 

 harriers ; his two hunters were as perfect as cats 

 at fencing : but we must recollect he was a man 

 of no ordinary head or manners : true, he was a 

 huntsman, but he was a king's huntsman, and a 

 man very superior to even that situation. Now, 

 as regards old Mullins, or any man like him, I 

 only told you he was an extraordinary and bold 

 rider in a particular way, though, in justice to 

 him, I believe he would ride bold anywhere : he 

 has two great camels of horses, far too big to be 

 good for any hunting purpose but his. He has 

 ridden each for years ; he knows them, and they 

 him; he has accustomed them to take care of 

 themselves; so they do, and of him also. He 

 puts them at most things in a stand, and when 



