no THE BEST OF THE FUN 



where it was supposed he got to ground. Time, one hour 

 ten minutes. 



Trotting back by Catterick Bridge and its racecourse, 

 we set off anew from Church Whin, at Kirkbank, to run 

 by Middleton Towers. Difficult, but exceedingly well 

 managed, hunting took us to Black Bull Inn and its lane ; 

 and we then ran the same scratchy line to Brompton Mill, 

 but not so fast as in the morning — our fox being given up 

 when he crossed the water. Time about one hour — to 

 conclude a most pleasurable day's sport. You can tell 

 little indeed of a country from riding over it one day only, 

 and that day foggy and mist-bound. But I have every 

 reason to believe that Lord Zetland's — varying from upper 

 moorland to close-kept lowland — is truly a sporting and 

 enjoyable country ; that it is not by any means a difficult 

 country to ride ; and that, as another characteristic, its 

 hunt is essentially genial and closely bound. 



I do not know whether I am justified in adducing in 

 example of these characteristics a trivial episode of to-day 

 — and certainly, one has no right to fiaunt one's little jest 

 among strangers, however kindly and indulgent they be 

 found. It was merely the one fall of the day — a very 

 little one, and into a ploughed field too — ^which we in 

 Northamptonshire should welcome as the luckiest possible 

 chance, in preference to an ordinary bang against the 

 hard, hard turf of springtide. The young sportsman fell 

 easily and had no fear for himself ; but more solicitude 

 was forthcoming, and more hearty inquiry rained upon 

 him, than we in rugged Northamptonshire earn even with 

 a collar-bone or a complete knock-out. Don't mistake 

 me. I commend the occasion to your notice, ye gallopers 

 of Northants, in that, but a week before, I saw a gallant 

 young farmer cast exactly thus into a ploughed field, and 

 his horse went on uninterrupted for two fields further. It 

 is true he had rather committed himself to accelerating 

 progress ; for, finding he was unable to clutch the reins 

 as his "nag" left him, he took his revenge by winding his 

 long lash loudly and twice-repeated round the hocks of 

 the miscreant ! But you might have tried to stop him— 

 hounds being at fault. 



