The Sport of Our Ancestors 



Fox-hunting. Any mere human being in a red coat who 

 tries to correct animal instinct at subHme moments Hke 

 these, by making a noise on a copper instrument, is at 

 once a PhiHstine and a fool — a Philistine to try his hand 

 on what nature is doing for him so much more artistically 

 than he can do it for himself ; a fool because no good pack 

 of Foxhounds would take the slightest notice of him if it 

 were anything like a scenting day. Major Whyte Melville in 

 * Riding Recollections ' is in the same kind of bad hurry with 

 Sir Richard Sutton's Hounds. They had been running 

 for thirty minutes when up went their heads. Sir Richard 

 is made to shout at Ben Morgan to * turn them.' Ben 

 Morgan rides a half-beaten horse at a double flight of posts 

 and rails with a ditch in the middle and one on each side, 

 with the result that may be imagined. But to show how 

 unnecessary was all this expenditure of tissue, Tranby spoke 

 to his Fox before Morgan had time to pick up the pieces ! 



Mr. Osbaldeston's second-horse man must have been 

 a wonderful man. This fine run was a ten-mile point 

 accomplished in two minutes over the hour. It takes some 

 swallowing ; but the thing could only be done at some- 

 thing like top speed all the way. Yet Mr. Osbaldeston 

 contrived to change horses at the right moment, and 

 to appear on Clasher when Ashton was getting blown. 

 How did the second-horse man get there ? Not by riding 

 to points, for according to time and distance the line from 

 Ashby Pasture to Woodwell Head must have been nearly 

 straight. He can only have done the deed by riding fence 

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