FIRST SCORES 177 



movement cn-er again. The brook here was but a stand- 

 ing jump, but it appeared to afford varied and infinite 

 subject, such as I dare not trifle with. I am at hberty to 

 depict myself in any absurdity of predicament, but the 

 dilemmas of others are only to be taken now and again 

 as subject on sufferance. 



This gallop, bright and rapid as it was, was all over in 

 fifteen minutes (their fox to ground under the Staverton 

 road). Had it been fifty, I might not have taken so lightly 

 my first utter routing in connection with Braunston Gorse. 

 On Monday, s'help me, the whole stud shall go water- 

 jumping, and shall practise the brook as studiously as on 

 first enlistment they invariably practise the bar. 



Xext fox was hunted from Staverton Wood to ground 

 on Arbury Hill ; and the last of the day was caught on 

 the bridge-side at Whilton Wharf, after a few minutes' 

 scamper from Thrupp's Spinney. He had been accus- 

 tomed, doubtless, to crossing it nightly in quiet safety, but 

 in daylight he found the bridge held by as sturdy a band 

 of ladies as ever took part in a fox-hunt. Queens of canal 

 barges were they, and their round, rosy faces gave broadest 

 evidence of how yet another class finds delight in the 

 sport of kings and princes. As hounds jumped at their 

 fox every one of them w^as entrapped in the lock ; and 

 'twas a sight to mark all the prettiest men of the hunt 

 doing duty upon bended knee, hoisting the splashing 

 hounds on to terra firma (this the end of the day, though ; 

 so the sacrifice was hardly as severe as it may read). 

 What a run and a ride there should have been, could poor 

 Reynard have crossed the canal to the pastures of Watford. 

 Only twenty men left, and those twenty, viciously intent, 

 were just settling to work when the end came all too soon. 

 And a scent that swam on the plough, what would it have 

 been on the grass ? 



Now, if ever you find yourself on a puller and he has 

 become master, for sport's sake do as he did to-day. And 

 he a distinguished member of a distinguished corps. He 

 was bound to go somewhere, for it was down-hill and the 

 horse meant it. Goodall didn't want him in the middle of 

 the pack, so gently waved his disengaged hand as the soldier 



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