ONE OF ME. smith's MAXIMS. 59 



soon carried his rider up to the hounds, which had 

 met with a trifling check ; but the Squire could 

 not catch me again until we killed our fox. One 

 of Mr. Smith's maxims was that a fox-hunter 

 should never voluntarily leave his saddle, either to 

 drive or lead his horse over a fence, and to this I 

 agree as a general rule, but there are places into 

 which a horse may jump, without the possibility of 

 his jumping out of them with his rider on his back ; 

 and I maintain that a hunter ought to be trained 

 to follow over a fence, by which time is gained — 

 as in this instance — instead of lost by looking 

 about for an easier exit. 



To perform such feats cleverly and quickly, a 

 horse must be attached to his master and obedient 

 to his will ; but Mr. Smith was too severe a rider 

 for his hunters to become fond of him, and I well 

 remember his celebrated horse, on hearing his 

 voice in the stable, showing as much excitement in 

 his loose box as a tiger does in his den. 



I once fell in with the Squire, in the CoUing- 

 bourne Woods, where he had been badgering about 

 the whole day, until four o'clock in the afternoon ; 

 at which hour I happened to be riding along by 

 the covert side, on my road to dine with my friend 

 at Chute Lodge. Whilst jogging on quietly, some- 

 what in the mood of old Horace — 



