208 THE DLVRY OF A HUNTSMAN 



the other side of the bank, and he utII jump on and 

 off in a few days as well as any hunter. The writer 

 has a thoroughbred colt at this time, only nine 

 months old, which is as perfect at all sorts of fences 

 as the best hmiter. 



The writer hopes, in selecting these extracts from 

 a collection of his oami practical obsers'ations, not 

 to be thought too seyere on any description of men 

 who hunt ^Wth fox-hounds ; for it is fair to suppose 

 that those who haye not resided in the country 

 cannot be so much aware at times of the mischief 

 they are doing in riding as those who are constantly 

 resident there, and who haye more opportunities of 

 getting acquainted ^\'ith the state of crops, etc. If 

 these men would only consider tliis, they would 

 not be surprised at seeing a farmer extremely irate 

 ^\ath them for riding on a field of tares, for instance 

 (which they had mistaken for weeds), young seeds, 

 — that is, cloyer, etc., or turnips, — Avhen there is 

 a footpath Avithin two yards, and this merely for 

 the sake of keeping up a conyersation by riding by 

 the side of another man, who is riding on a path or 

 furrow under a hedge, instead of behind him. ]Men 

 being thus unconscious that they are doing mischief, 

 makes it no matter of surprise that they flare 

 up, or are much proyoked at the coarse or rough 



