RIDING TO FOX-HOUNDS 



Who-whoop! His labours are now over for 

 the day. Do not keep him standing half an hour 

 in the cold, while you smoke a cigar and enlarge 

 to sympathising ears on his doings, and yours, 

 and theirs, and those of everybody concerned. 

 Rather jog gently off as soon as a few compli- 

 ments and congratulations have been exchanged, 

 and keep him moving at the rate of about six 

 miles an hour, so that his muscles may not begin 

 to stiffen after his violent exertions, till you have 

 got him home. Jump off his honest back, to 

 walk up and down the hills with him as they 

 come. He well deserves this courtesy at your 

 hands. If you ever go out shooting, you cannot 

 have forgotten the relief it is to put down your 

 gun for a minute or two. And even from a 

 selfish point of view, there is good reason for 

 this forbearance in the ease your own frame 

 experiences with the change of attitude and 

 exercise. If you can get him a mouthful of 

 gruel, it will recruit his exhausted vitality, as a 

 basin of soup puts life into a fainting man ; but 

 do not tarry more than five or six minutes for 

 your own luncheon, while he is sucking it in, and 

 the more tired he seems, remember, the sooner 

 you ought to get him home. 



If he fails altogether, does not attempt to trot, 

 and wavers from side to side under your weight, 

 put him into the first available shelter, and make 

 o 191 



