74 I^i Scarlet and Silk 



even so good a pilot as Mr. Sheffield Neave, 

 the Master and Huntsman, would be. As a 

 matter of fact, small fields are the almost 

 invariable rule in this country ; indeed, a few 

 additional followers (subscribers !) would be 

 an unquestionable advantage to the pack. 

 Every Tuesday — almost always in the Rooth- 

 ings — and each alternate Saturday, are their 

 hunting days. The Roothing ditches are 

 formidable — more, as a former whip to this 

 pack, Mr. Edward Neave, was saying to me, 

 a clay or two since, from their depth than 

 their breadth ; for a broad ditch may often 

 be negotiated by scrambling half-w^ay down 

 before jumping. The Roothings is, probably, 

 the nearest approach to a flying country that 

 Essex can show. To the Londoner casting 

 about for a " happy hunting ground," I should 

 certainly say " hunt in Essex " rather than in 

 Kent or Surrey, and as I said before, there 

 is, with the Essex Staghounds, the great ad- 

 vantage of small fields and plenty of room. 



I have had some fine runs with the Mid- 

 Kent Staghounds from time to time, and 



