24 RACECOURSE AND COVERT SIDE. 



This is not the first day of cub-hunting, and 

 on Monday, when the sport began, a goodly 

 muster of something over tv70 score turned out ; 

 but when once a start has been given to the 

 cubbing, outside support is faintly rendered. 

 Meantime three or four dilatory sportsmen have 

 joined the little assemblage, and we push on over 

 the meadow, each horse leaving his track behind 

 him on the dew-laden grass. The hounds deploy 

 to the right, through a bridle-gate into the wood ; 

 Charlie the huntsman, who has dismounted and 

 surrendered his horse to a friend, accompanying 

 his charges. The first whip pauses at one end of 

 the cover, and we follow Sir Henry over the 

 field, through a gate, and into a second meadow 

 by the woodside, where we wait in patience. 



The horses have pricked up their ears and 

 shown every token of satisfaction on being intro- 

 duced to their old friends again, and even the 

 commodore's new steed, which has never seen a 

 hound before or galloped behind one, perceptibly 

 brightens. Poor Whyte-Melville expressed an 

 opinion that very few horses like jumping, yet 

 there is certainly something or other about the 

 hunting-field that they do like. One would 

 think it must be associated in their recollection 

 with tiring gallops, heavy ploughs, stiff fences, 

 some whip, a little spur, not a few hard knocks, 



