216 WHIP AND SPUR. 



openers for about half an hour, when, coming 

 out on a high-road, I concluded that, with seven- 

 teen miles to ride home, it was only just to my 

 little mare to give the thing up and head for 

 Leamington. The hounds were far away on my 

 right and quite out of sight. 



Having come to look on and learn, I had prob- 

 ably seen and heard all that day had in store 

 for me, — surely enough for one's first day at 

 fox-hunting. When I had ridden for a few min- 

 utes I saw, far across the fields, that the hounds 

 had turned to the left and were making for my 

 road. Pressing forward, I came up in time to 

 see them cross to the front, and go scurrying 

 away over the grass, nosing out the scent as they 

 ran. There had been a check, and " the field " 

 was well up. The road was lower than the fields, 

 and was bordered by a ditch at each side. From 

 this the ground rose a little, and on each bank 

 stood a three-and-a-half-foot thorn hedge. Nei- 

 ther leap was difficult, but the one out of the 

 road was not easy. Here I sat and saw fully a 

 hundred horsemen, dressed in the gay colors of 



