Fox-Jm)iting 25 



hardly any previous experience of timber- 

 jumping, but seemed to take to it quite 

 naturally. 



What an extraordinary combination of 

 fortuitous circumstances is necessary for the 

 making of a really fine run ! Fox-hunting is 

 so intrinsically good a sport that, year in, 

 year out, it is well calculated to satisfy us 

 all to the full ; but how many — or rather, 

 how few — first-rate runs do we get in a 

 season ? one might almost substitute the 

 words " in a lifetime." Amongst the mani- 

 fold requirements are a good scent, a good 

 start, a good horse, and a good country. Let 

 one of these be absent, and probably no good 

 run will be recorded, as far as we, individu- 

 ally, arc concerned. And can anything be 

 more maddening than to find that your 

 neighbour has had a good one, and that you 

 yourself ''got left." Yes, I know it sounds 

 horribly selfish to say this, but can any poor, 

 weak mortal deny that it is true ? '•' Once 

 upon a time," as the story-books say, I ven- 

 tured forth upon a gay and corky four-year- 



