88 LADIES ON HORSEBACK. 



to the meet : quite in the morning ; or, should 

 the distance he a long one, despatch him the 

 previous evening in charge of a careful servant, 

 and stable him for the night as near as possible 

 to the point at which you may require him 

 upon the following day. If you are fortunate 

 enough to have a friend's house to send him 

 to, so much the better a great deal ; but 

 under any circumstances it is pleasanter 

 both for you and your animal that he should 

 be fresh and lively from his stable, and not 

 that you should get upon him when he is half- 

 jaded and covered with mud, after a long and 

 tiresome road journey. 



To drive to the meet or go by train yourself 

 is the most agreeable way. Some ladies ride 

 hacks to covert, and then have their hunters to 

 replace them, but this is tiresome, and not to 

 be advocated for various reasons. If the 

 morning is fine the drive will be pleasant, 

 and you can then send your conveyance to 

 whatever point you deem it most Hkely the 

 hunt wiU leave off. You must, of course, 

 exercise your judgment in the endeavour to 

 decide this, but you may assist it considerably 



