THE OPENING DAY. 35 



on tlie stubblefield beyond the water the run fox was 

 phiin to be seen, liis lengthy form moving- in a direction 

 almost opposite to that of the bridge. So Commonsense 

 kept itself dry ; and was rewarded by meeting hounds 

 again, as the latter bent right back into the road half a 

 mile further on. The prettiest bit of houndwork of the 

 day now took place, as the pack carried a faint line 

 qnickl}' along the muddy road towards the village of 

 Whissendine. For quite the next half mile they could 

 not speak to a scent ; hound after hound lifted her nose 

 and followed doubtingly on, but a few old line hunters 

 never slackened speed ; and when every one but the 

 huntsman must have lost confidence, the pack broke out 

 of the lane at a tangent, and pursued its way in full 

 chorus. 



Thus they ran just to the right of Wliissendine village 

 — many other hurrying horsemen joining in ; and the 

 hounds warming afresli to their "work when fliirly among 

 the grass fields beyond. Here the fences came quick 

 and close, and jumping enthusiasts (a heading which on 

 occasion may no doubt claim to include us all) at length 

 had their fling — and, as Artemus Ward might have put 

 it, they flung. It is not apropos of this particular 

 period — though it is certainly apropos of the day, and 

 wholly unprompted by the smart of any personal injury 

 — I remark there are two essential points in riding to 

 hounds in this countrv, that stran^-ers makinir their first, 

 or a casual, essay in it are too apt to disregard, or with 

 which they have at least foiled to make themselves con- 

 versant. The one is — tahin'j your turn at a h'liee ; the 



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