HUNTING IN IKELAND. 181 



gentleman, first at this mighty obstacle, 

 charged it boldly, but, alas, with what a 

 result ! The farmer had, during our absence, 

 run a stiff wire through the fence, which, 

 catching the horse in the breast, turned him 

 completely over, breaking the rider's arm, and 

 otherwise severely injuring him. Some 

 members of the hunt, seeing what had 

 occurred, besieged the offender's dwelling, 

 and he had an extremely uncomfortable ten 

 minutes. I have heard persons aver that the 

 man was badly treated, and that he had a 

 perfect right to wire his fences if he so willed. 

 Undoubtedly he had, if it were done openly 

 and in such a way that the wiring could be 

 discerned, but not, by petty treachery, to 

 imperil the safety, if not the lives, of a largo 

 number of persons. 



My advice to farmers would be this ; wire 

 the fences if necessary ; but, at the commence- 

 ment of the hunting season, cut away, say 

 twenty yards of the wiring at the poorest 

 point of the field, and mark the spot with a 

 pole and flag. Every rider would assuredly 

 make for it as being the only jumpable place, 



