FOX-HUNTING. 19 



short, they are a good field ahead of him, and going 

 as fast as ever. This would the eager and excitable 

 novice — ay, not only he, but some who ought to 

 know better — think the right time to recover the 

 lost ground, and "put the steam on" down the hill. 

 O fool ! Does the engine-driver " put the steam on " 

 at the top of Shap Fell ? He shuts it off — saves it : 

 the incline does the work for him without it. Our 

 friend does the same ; pulls his horse together, and 

 for some distance goes no faster than the natural 

 stride of his horse takes him down the hill. Conse- 

 quently the lungs, with nothing to do, refill with air 

 and the horse is himself again ; whereas, if he had 

 been hurried just at that moment, he would have 

 "gone to pieces " in two fields. Half a mile or so 

 further on, having by increase of pace and careful 

 observation of the leading hounds, resulting in 

 judicious nicks, recovered his position on the flank 

 of the pack, he finds himself approaching the brook. 

 He may know it to be a big place, or be ignorant 

 of its proportions ; but, in either case, his tactics 



