HUNTING IN THE MIDLANDS 169 



at present exactly two hundred and twenty packs 

 of hounds. Of these some hunt as often as five 

 days a week, others not more frequently than two. 

 The average may probably be fixed at the figure 

 three. Eoughly the hunting season lasts twenty- 

 five weeks, while it may be computed that at least 

 ninety horsemen go out with each pack. We thus 

 have one million four hundred and fifty-eight 

 thousand as the total of the occasions on which 

 horse and rider feel the perils of the chase. " If," 

 said Anthony Trollope, in the course of some 

 admirable remarks on the subject, " we say that a 

 bone is broken annually in each hunt, and a man 

 killed once in two years in all the hunts together, 

 we think that we exceed the avera^^^e of casualties. 

 At present there is a spirit abroad which is desirous 

 of maintaining the manly excitement of enterprise 

 in which some peril is to be encountered, but which 

 demands at the same time that it should be done 

 without any risk of injurious circumstances. Let 

 us have the excitement and pleasure of danger, but 

 for God's sake no danger itself. This at any rate 

 is unreasonable." 



These observations have somewhat diverted me 

 from the thread of the original narrative. Should, 

 however, the reader desire more precise information 

 as to the particular line of country taken up by the 



