FOX-HUNTING IN ENGLAND. 215 



twenty of them dashed up the hill, cleared a 

 clever hedge, and kept the pack in sight. The 

 rest took an easier place, where a farm laborer had 

 pulled away the stakes by which a gap had been 

 filled. Here there was much very light jumping, 

 and much more of waiting until predecessors had 

 made it lighter. In the mean time other gaps 

 were found, and it was not many minutes before 

 all were through ; but during these minutes the 

 fox, the hounds, and the harder riding men were 

 putting a wide space between themselves and us, 

 who were at the tail of the field. Yet there 

 were some in the party who did not look like 

 laggards, and whose horses were good enough 

 for any work such a country could give them. 



Even when across the gap, these men went 

 with the rest of us, by gates and lanes, toward 

 a point to which it was thought by the know- 

 ing ones that the fox would double, — and the 

 knowing ones were right. Gradually, as their 

 judgment indicated, they left the roads and took 

 to the fields. This course was taken by three 

 well-mounted young ladies. I followed the gate- 



