DISCRETION 



If, then, you have achieved so bad a start that 

 it is impossible to make up your lee-way, or if 

 you are on a hack with neither power nor intention 

 to ride in the front rank, be sure you cannot take 

 matters too coolly should you wish to command the 

 line of chase and see as much as possible of the fun. 



I am supposing the hounds have found a good 

 fox that knows more than one parish, and are 

 running him with a holding scent. However 

 favourable your start, and fate is sure to arrange 

 a good one for a man too badly mounted to avail 

 himself of it, let nothing induce you to keep near 

 the pack. At a mile off you can survey and 

 anticipate their general direction, at a quarter 

 that distance you must ride every turn. Do not 

 be disordered by the brilliancy of the pace should 

 their fox go straight up wind. If he does not 

 sink it within five minutes he means reaching a 

 drain, and another five will bring the "who- 

 whoop!" that marks him to ground. This is 

 an unfailing deduction, but happily the most 

 discreet of us are apt to forget it. Time after 

 time we are so fooled by the excitement of our 

 gallop that even experience does not make us 

 wise, and we enjoy the scurry, exclaiming, 

 " What a pity ! " when it is over, as if we had 

 never been out hunting before. It would be 

 useless to distress your hack for so short a spin, 

 rather keep wide of the line, if possible, on high 



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