54 How I Became a Sportsmax. 



burst at a racing one. I am pretty sure a great 

 many people will say I am old-fashioned in this. 

 Well, so I am, I confess, for I love the real 

 hunting part of the business, and as soon as 

 hounds began cub-hunting I was sure to be 

 there. Master and huntsman like very well to 

 see an interested follower of the craft out with 

 them at any time ; but they mutually hate a man 

 who comes out to heat or try a young horse 

 when they are entering their young hounds. 

 If you keep quiet, and sometimes you may 

 make yourself useful, they are glad to see you ; 

 but if you come out to show off, or for a 

 gallop, you may be wished a long way off. 

 How delightful it is to meet the hounds, say 

 at ^VQ o'clock of a lovely morning in Sep- 

 tember, — as Somerville says, 



" What sluggard now 

 Would sink in beds of down," — 



in such a delightful spot, for instance, as Swan 

 Grove in the Duke of Beaufort's country, or 

 Cirencester woods in the V. H. H. on such a 

 morning as this, with their beautiful elastic 

 green rides, and the music of perhaps sixty 

 couple of hounds to cheer your heart. 



How often have I ridden ten, twelve, or 



