192 EXPERIENCES OF SPORT. 



harriers, dwarf foxhounds, and staghounds all 

 ensemble, some a quarter of a mile ahead of the 

 others. 



Still, blowing of horns and going ahead was- 

 the order of the day. Never mind if some un- 

 fortunate dog was ridden over. " N'importe, 

 allons, mes amis! vous n'avez pas de chasse en 

 Angleterre, comme id." 



The first fence is approached, in the shape of 

 a three and a half foot wall. Debenham and 

 myself take it in our stride side by side, and 

 look back at our Mossoo friends. Three or four 

 are over, but some of their horses are on the 

 taking-off side ; one gentleman is firmly glued 

 between his nag's ears, another is as firmly 

 holding on to his horse's tail, and one very ex- 

 tensively got up " swell/' with a black velvet 

 cap and prodigious horn, is rubbing his nether 

 end, looking after his horse, who is away with 

 the hounds, and no doubt as glad to get rid of 

 his rider as his rider of him. The rest, with 

 the exception of a few, were nowhere. 



The hounds come to a check on the banks of 

 a small stream, which enables most of our friends 

 to come up, some hatless, with rents in coats, 



