EARLY DAYS OF RAILWAYS. 453 



There was a story told as to tlie mode of hunt- 

 ing, whether at the end of the last or early part of 

 the present century I don't know, but it ran thus : 



Some old farmers used to meet for hare-hunting, 

 and went to the meet in what were called their 

 drinliing-carts, in which they could sit, trusting to 

 their horses to take them home, though they were not 

 in a condition to return on horseback. On arrival at 

 the meet the horses were taken out of the carts, 

 saddled and mounted, and the hunting commenced. 

 As to the pack no account is given, but it probably 

 consisted of one or more dogs brought by the several 

 members of the party, and with a slight dash of the 

 hound in their breed. If when the dinner-hour 

 arrived, about midday, they were still in pursuit 

 of a hare, or there was a check, a stick was stuck in 

 the ground at the point where the hare was last seen, 

 and an adjournment for dinner took place, the sport 

 being ended for that day ; but on the following day 

 the hunt was resumed, commencing at the stick, and 

 then proceeded according to the plan previously 

 pursued. 



The City men who lived out of town might be 

 thoroughly in the country, though only five or six 

 miles from the Bank ; if they did not keep their own 

 carriages they went to town by wh^t was generally 

 called 'The Stage,' which meant a coach running 



