26 1884. 



stopping the hounds, it being too dark to 

 distinguish anything any more. The weather 

 was still very stormy. 



December 22nd. — 



A large field met these hounds at Mudford 

 Bridge, in a clear, fresh, frosty morning. But 

 little law was needed, as every one was there, 

 including a great many strangers, all of them 

 ready to do or dare, quite equal to jumping on 

 each other ; and it required a good scent to get 

 the hounds out of danger, for few of these bold 

 spirits pause to think that zeal is nothing with- 

 out discretion, and that no riding is so much 

 admired as that of the man who is always well 

 placed, but never does anything unsportsmanlike, 

 such as cutting in out of his turn over a fence, 

 riding imprudently near, or unpardonably over, 

 a hound — little thinking of the serious harm he 

 does in injuring a valuable hound, perhaps for 

 life — or failing to give room to the Huntsman in 

 a crowd. Attention to these details does much 

 for a run, and a courteous field is always the 

 most agreeable to hunt with. We had rather 



