io6 HARK FORRARD! 



nothing in the world much more delightful to 

 a sportsman who is really fond of it, than 

 trotting to the meet with his hounds all round 

 him. For one who studies them, there is a 

 wonderful lot of character in hounds ; some 

 want a lot of encouragement, others must be 

 gently chidden. The young hounds of an 

 inquiring turn of mind insist on investigating 

 the interior of every garden and house they 

 pass on the road, if they possibly can get away 

 unobserved ; others delight in rushing into the 

 midst of a lot of fowls, simply for mischief. 

 ^ 'Ware wing, steady, there ! have a care ! ' and a 

 crack of the lash from the whipper-in brings 

 them back clustering all round your horse. 

 Ourselves, we believe in giving hounds a certain 

 amount of liberty on the way to the meet ; they 

 are all the better and steadier for it when they 

 get there. 



An hour's trot brought them to Foxton, 

 where half a dozen of the neighbouring sports- 

 men met them. A move was at once made for 



