220 THE BEST OF THE FUN 



first few warming minutes, hounds could never press him, 

 and before twenty-five were ticked off they had lost him. 

 As a matter of fact, since the calm, sport-giving weather 

 of a week ago broke up, scent has been of a shifty, uncer- 

 tain nature, and so, I suppose, it will continue till the 

 weather again settles. A wild barometer is more deadly 

 to sport than even a wild field. (I hesitate to allow I 

 have ever seen or made part of the latter production in 

 the well-drilled Shires, though I am bound to confess to 

 having been on more than one occasion within earshot 

 when denunciation was being launched, such as surely 

 could never have been called forth by any lesser infliction.) 



CHAPTER XXXI 



THE huntsman's MONTH 



February, "the huntsman's month," as a Master of Hounds 

 who has himself proved it with two or three of the best 

 months on recor.d reminded me very recently — a wet, open 

 February is always replete with sport. The present one 

 has been doing its duty honourably. From the point of 

 view of the huntsman, I fancy it will hardly have been 

 deemed a " killing " month. But it has given what most 

 of us want, viz. sport on most days, and exercise on all. 

 If the ground is wet, horses are fit — fitter now, probably, 

 than at any other time of the year. The country is at 

 its easiest to ride over ; for not only can you spot in a 

 moment the weakest place in every fence, but a blown 

 horse can shatter a top-binder now that would turn him 

 on to his saddle in November. With the ground in its 

 present deep state, there has been, I assure you, no lack 

 of opportunity of making proof of this theory ; nor, as 

 far as I could see, has there been any lack of willing 

 experimentalists. 



The Pytchley on Saturday held their annual meet at 

 Weedon Barracks, the recognised school of instruction 

 for officers aiming at proficiency in riding to hounds. 

 Three years ago, you may remember, the meet was 



