214 FOX-HUNTING IN THE SHIRES 



of ground he galloped. Now, it is probable that a 

 rider of this sort exchanges an imaginary danger 

 for a real one, as galloping over rough ground and 

 down stony and boggy lanes is more dangerous than 

 jumping fences. No doubt, indeed, the author of 

 " Fifty Years' Fox-hunting " is right when he says, 

 that if a man is mounted on anything of a hunter, 

 to be near to the hounds is the safest place. 



Nevertheless, each man has his own ideas as to 

 what he can do best, and, as far as seeing a run is 

 concerned, such riders as Mr. Corbet possibly have 

 a better general idea of the course of a hunt than 

 any except those in the first flight. What they 

 do miss is the working of the pack. The beautiful 

 head hounds carry in the chase, their sudden sweep 

 to keep the scent, the rapid cast forward of their 

 own accord, and the instant recovery of the line — 

 with the drive onward that follows — these delight 

 the man who loves hounds, but cannot well be 

 seen from a quarter of a mile away. Hounds are 

 never more delightful to watch than when they are 

 hunting at a fast pace. No doubt there is glory and 

 exaltation in riding to them on the rare occasions 

 when the scent serves and they simply drop their 

 sterns and race straight forward. These days, how- 

 ever, are but few, and the times when even the best 

 of us see them are fewer still. 



Such pleasures, then, are not for the skirter, though 

 he may indeed see the slower parts of the hunt, and, 

 if he keeps down-wind, sooner or later on most days 

 hounds will turn to him. If, indeed, they run clean 

 away up-wind he has nothing to do but keep pegging 

 on. A fox that runs up-wind has in most cases a 

 point in view, some favourite covert, some handy 

 refuge in a drain, or maybe a convenient rabbit hole. 



