A DAY ON WHEELS 233 



which you scarcely need telling belongs to the 

 well-to-do publican and his wife ; the waggonette 

 and the homely spring-cart are all found as regularly 

 as the day comes at every place where it is possible 

 for a decent amount of sport to be seen on wheels. 

 But amongst the regulars, as they may be termed, 

 there is generally one who has, in the days of his 

 youth, taken an active and leading part in the 

 sport which he is now obliged to look at from a 

 distance. His heart is with horse and hound yet, 

 and his fine eye to hounds and knowledge of a 

 country enable him to see many a good run, or, to 

 be literally correct, much of the leading incidents 

 in many a good run. If you have powers of 

 observance you won't require to have him pointed 

 out to you ; the quiet air of thoroughly knowing 

 what he is about, the absence of that exuberant 

 excitement which generally distinguishes those who 

 hunt on wheels, mark him as a man sui generis, 

 who knows exactly what he is going to do and 

 does it. 



" Needs must," when a certain gentleman drives, 

 and as it was impossible for me to ride, I recently 

 availed myself of an opportunity of seeing hounds 

 on wheels. I hired a dog-cart, and took care to 

 obtain the owner as driver, a man who knows 

 every nook and corner of the country, who is full 

 of anecdote, and who has the history of the country, 

 and other two or three, for the last five-and-twenty 

 years, at his fingers' ends. 



There was a large muster, and at first I was too 

 fully occupied returning the greetings of friends 

 to take much notice of my companions of the road. 

 However, at last hounds moved off to try a wood 

 some three-quarters of a mile from the lane. Then 



