The New York herald., 1877-11-04
KILLED IN THE OPEN.
An EXhilarating Day with the Queens
County Hounds.
ALL hEMPSTEAO AT THE CHASE.
The Pack Improve with Practice
and Run Better.

Island fox hunters put the days good performance
belied the mornings poor promise The clustering
gale OF the night before had been wild and tempesuoua
enough suggest the unrooang OF halt tho barns In
the neighbornood and the disappearance OF all nova
ble things the surface OF Hampstead plains si,l
daybreak the wnds had not wholly spent their fury.
With strength and continuity the storm that had
howed all night through tho woods skrting the broad
plain and dashed earth the last lingering leaves Of
autumn, leaving the gaunt branches to point their
skeleton fingers In mute protest against such rude
SPORT still fingered to toy with the fallen leaves and
scatter them as embroidery on tho vel! sprnkled
turf Window shutters that throughout the night had
banged and slapped Ike q muded echo OF tho roll Of
musketry coming from the distance, still rattled, only
little moro iaintiy The sky was clear, however,
and thcre some prospect that the breeze would
lessen materially before noon, and thus let the scent
lie better And so happened, to the great grat6ca.
tion of the hunting man.
Fortunately, the sandy soil hereabouts had swallowed
up Of the rain had desuged the nsds day
before, though spots, where there sand and
the soil was light tho ground yet very soft and
spongy- The hour OF meeting was one O'Clock p ~,
the place Hewett's Hotel. Hampstead. II court
day In town, and this combined with the fact that Ind
day the last Saturday before tho election, ne
doubt contributed to attract larger crowd than might
have gathered TO ordinary meet. Whether this
be the II Is certain the attendance OF non.
participants In the chase greater than at any time
since the hunts commenced
When the first horsemen logged down The main
streets Of Hampstead toward the place of
shortly before o'clock, there were heads thrust
OF every window either side, and ranged along
the sidewalks wero rnges Of bystanders that swelled
TO banterng, chatty crowds In front OF and opposite
the hotel Because II was Saturday, too the school,
boys had holiday, and OF course they on hand
In sca nd The
trooped into yard tho hotel, and 4
lot OF the lockers on followed. Here brides,
saddles and curb bits tho hunters were inspected
with some curiosity. The style In which the rider4
sat their horses was matter OF some surprise "a
many Of the crowd, who could not understand Why
the stirrups were so short They had evidently no
Idea that horse should be ridden other mill.
tary style, with very long strrups. All this while
wagons were coming up by the dozen and the small
boys wore squrmng about In out OF the way places
and putting themselves nearly under the legs Of the
horses they could conveniently get by the aid Of
that ccaseless energy peculiar TO the gaping Juvenile
The restlcss eager studs champcd stared at this
unwonted scene, and each seemed quite willing 10
trample moderate proportion OF small boy, SO for
time things were quite brisk and exhlaratipg. How
the mothers OF these boys would have reoced to see
the iun At one O'Clock about a dozen horsemen had
gathered at the rendezvous There In red coats,
cords and tops, Mr.. Belmont Purdy, Mr. E. Zoorowski
and Mr. Robert Centeri in dark coats with boots aud
cords, wero Mr. Pierre Lorard, Jr, Mr. Frost and
Mr. 5. Sands. Mr.. Clarence Levey was also present,
wearing dark green hunting coat. To complete the
gathering there also assembled three or :our youths
oi tho neghborhood, on nags OF the general utility
order.
THE HOUNDS ARRIVE
For the 0rst time Mr. +. Gray Griswold, the Master
OF the Hounds, kept the Ged waiting, but the delay
vas very brief. About I'VE minutes aItor O'CLOCK
his pink coat was approaching from the direction
kennel.
and Fltzpatrick the Whip. bringing up the rear. A.
.Here they come" was the cry and shouts border
ing cheer greeted their advance. Tnen't was
the usual fuss preparatory to the start IL lisa curious
thing that tho exact length OF stirrup, tho accurate
set OF curb chain In short the entire preparation in.
cldent TO dash across country s scarcely ever de-
termined until the moment before the start When
these little prelimnaries had been dispatched af
ter her the horsemen moved into the street and
formed circle, into the centre Of which the hounds
passed after their master 1t was iortuIate too, thai
some little precaution OF this sort taken else the
dogs In their eagerness TO get into the front
rank OF observers. Tho attentions of the assembly
n 70
at the west sde and, closely followed by jostiina
crowd OF wagons that threatened another with do.
structon Mr. Grswold trotted out In the direction Of
Detzs woods, TO the northwest Oi the town. The
horsemcn closely followed, the wagons camo next,
and the whole town seemed to be on the road aitci
them. II was pretty long and quite lively
procession. presenting on the whole very lively pic-
iuro, something like the road a country siie
meeting on a big day. About q quarter OF milo
from tho town the cavalcade halted ana the huntsman
prepared to throw OIL Through an open gate to the
southwark the HOUNDS and huntsmen passed. Alter
crossing field or two the dogs ran along
edge Of the wood. Presently their heads
were turned toward the east, aud alter some little
time the low whine OF the eBders announced the fnd
First they dashed eastward then turned toward tha
Tue fences were mostly low at the start, but tho
OF the hounds was marked by some very sharp
quite suddenly by the jumps TINS led several
reiusals at the very beginning OF the run. leav-
ING IN SLOW ones hese ees wss
speedily overcome the majority of the 1ed found that
tho pack haa already gained considerably Tho hounds
are evidently improving, and ran better Tor the
practice they have had thus far. Alter pursuing their
way some distance to the northwest they wound
around eastward. and finally brought down tho
fox in the open,. about hall mile TO
tho eastward o. hemps'oaa, and a.,,sia within full
Zborowski and the whip had kept with the pack
throughout, and though Mr.. ZborowsKi had muddy
aud consequently soft croppcr, his plucky horseman
ship procured him tle brush. Mr.. Center and MI.
Frost each got pad and the mask. as usual went 70
tho Kennel
II was marvel that several serious accidents did
not occur the roads, SO rapid was the driving ut
happened, only one wagon upset, whose drivers
head somewhat damaged. The observers on loot
also escaped moro by the Intervention of special
providence than the discretion. At
tho side the boys fairly swarmed in hUnt
of the horses sometimes standing, as II transhxcd,
close by the line with the advancing field.
Shouts and cautions seemed only confuse them and
slm ulate tae already warm horses to almost un-
ortrolabe state OF excitement When the field had
out OF this danger another confronted It. Tho
wagons were strung out along roads, across which
the dogs wero passing and into which the ridors
obliged jump IN order pursue chase All this
necessitated careful riding and a slower pace than
somo desired. It, however, showed tho need of eau
ton and the exercise OF Judgment at the beginning
THE RESULTS.
All things considered the run proved TO bc ex.
celent 0ne satisfying all VINO kept II for any
distance To have seen very much OF II from any
one OF the roads or by those we'll up In tho led
WAS nsai Hhn rha ad a.inlo
ing ground aud In and between dense bits OF woods
that must have wholly shut out the from those nos
close on the dogs Altogether II was day to 20 with
the dogs Tor sport after them.
the next meeting will be at Garden CITY, Tucs-
day, the 9th inst ELECTION day., when big aeld in,
Guiding several ladies' and good run arc confidently
expected TO reward the patrons OF the chase
BOOKSELLERS CORNERED,