298 Cross Country with Horse and Hound 



After this much of the programme has been decided 

 upon, the best ways of drawing each covert are discussed. 

 The Master next goes over his list of hounds, making 

 selections with a view to uniformity of size especially, for 

 he wishes to display his beauties to the best possible advan- 

 tage before the visitors next day. Then they decide which 

 horse the Master shall ride, and which for his second mount. 

 The huntsman also makes his selection, and decides upon 

 the mounts for the whippers-in. There are, further, three 

 or four mounts to be provided for guests ladies, perhaps, as 

 well as men. These selections must be carefully based on 

 what the Master knows of the riding of each guest. All 

 this takes time, the list being changed and changed again. 

 In addition, two or three carriages are to be provided for 

 ladies and guests who do not ride, together with the inci- 

 dental question of who is to drive them. 



Already the consultation has consumed an hour or possi- 

 bly two, and the business is only begun. The huntsman 

 has yet to go to the kennels, and wake up old Simpson the 

 earth-stopper, and explain the programme to him ; and to 

 see the kennel huntsman and give him the list of hounds 

 that are to go out to-morrow. This must be known the 

 night before, so that their next morning's feeding may be 

 regulated accordingly, either very light or none at all, de- 

 pending on the time of the meet and the distance from the 

 meet to the covert. From the kennels the huntsman must 

 turn to the stables, and go carefully over the programme of 

 horses with the head coachman. The whole train must 

 be carefully laid. 



By the time the Master and his guests are saying their 



