SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 207 



rails, to diversify the riding, and an occasional 

 brook, although not very wide, deep and nasty to 

 look at, with hollow banks ; patches of gorse, and 

 pretty little spinnies of three or four acres only, in 

 place of interminable woods. Then .the turn-oub 

 at the meet. Huntsman and whips spruce, smart, 

 good-looking fellows, dressed as in their Sunday's 

 best, mounted on their bang-tailed, showing breed- 

 ing and condition good enough to run for the St. 

 Leger. Then the hounds, long lathy animals, with 

 plenty of bone and symmetry, and coats on their 

 backs soft and silky as moleskins. See how jaun- 

 tily and saucily they step along over the green- 

 sward to the covert, a piece of high gorse lying on 

 the hill-side, followed by a crowd of some two 

 hundred horsemen. 



Dick Woodcraft looks aghast at the cavalcade 

 pressing upon him, and his favourite hunter shows 

 symptoms of fretfulness and impatience. 



" Oh ! " quoth Dick, " I'm a-thinking there'll be 

 some queerish work presently amongst these gents 

 on their prancing nags, and I'll just keep as near 

 the hounds as may be, where 'tis likely very many 

 of these fierce-looking chaps won't be, if there's a 

 bit of scent." Well, they reach the gorse ; with a 

 wave of the huntsman's hand, and a low " Hoic in 

 hoic ! " eighteen couples disappear a whimper is 

 soon heard then another note or two a screech 

 at the farther end, a crack of the whip from Jack 

 and they are away. Dick Woodcraft has not 

 time for thinking now, he is hurried along in the 

 front rank on Ploughman, frantic with excitement 



