xMIGKATION IN THE P^ROST 209 



after an hour and a half, and, with a turn towards Bally- 

 kiski, came back with a beaten fox to our startin<f-point in 

 exactly two hours. A dozen men and two or three ladies 

 (amons4 them Miss Hulme) arrived with them — every horse 

 owning to more than sufficient. I believe I am not 

 beyond the fact, or my province, in believing that, as with 

 hounds from end to end of this long run, there were none 

 so consistent as the two leaders aforesaid, with Captain Gay 

 and Miss Evanson in near attendance. Of Mr. Burke I 

 don't hesitate to assert (all obligation of hospitality apart) 

 that I have seen no one in Ireland on a par with him across 

 country unless it be the Master of the Meath, or unless it 

 be his right-hand friend Mr. Riall — the latter possibly the 

 best exemplar in Tipperary of how that country should be 

 ridden. It is a treat to see him taking it quick. It is a 

 wonder to see him taking it slow. In the first case the 

 horse obex's the man. In the latter the horse is made to 

 use the best faculties to be found in an Irish hunter. 



Another paragraph of this fine run yet remains. 

 Hounds again left covert ; and the Master, supposing them 

 to be still engaged upon his hunted fox, rode after them 

 with his whipper-in — these two upon their second horses, 

 while not a man among his field was in a position to 

 accompany. The further hounds went, the better the 

 pace ; and so far from bringing a tired fox to hand, as he 

 hoped every moment, Mr. Burke had to whip off an hour 

 later, at dark, just as hounds were entering the big covert 

 of Mohober — some five miles, as the crows flies, from 

 Ballylennan. The line was a strong one, past the right of 

 Prouts ; and the watch pointed to 5.15 as he stopped 

 hounds. When he went away at 4.15 all our horses — some 

 of them four years old, some few five years old, and one 

 or two still to be called three years old, for in Ireland no- 

 body seems to ride any but young horses, unless they 

 happen to possess something unsaleable — all our horses 

 had had fully enough, and looked only for gruel. "Is it 

 gruel ye want ? " quoth the man replacing the gate, or, 

 rather, the substitute of thorns and poles. "Sure I'll take 

 ye to Farmer's Murphy's, It's only just beyant ; and ye'll 

 get all the gruel ye want — and whisky — and beef besides, 



O 



