Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-12-17
FOLLOWING THE HOUNDS.
An Americans Account OF
an English Hunt.
Impressions of Oross-Oountry Riding
and English Sport

Siio"So i|tohte SelluS W IlluJ pupcl
the following letter from London: your
correspondent was asked to a hunt las'
week. For the sake of those as green
as himself in English lifo he puts down
the events that made up the day.
The meet was some thirty mile:
from town, but an early breakfast, q
swift train, and good friend at the
other end of the journey made il
possible to enjoy days sport such as
we poor Americans can rarely hope tc
indulge in. A five mile drive in dog
cart through n country diversified by
meadow, plowed land, and turnip fields
with now and then a bit of timber
brought us to his house, where q
couple Of "hunters" were saddled and
waiting for us.
Into the house rushed Harry (my
friend) and soon emerged in pair Of
corduroy breaches, patent-lcather hunt
ing boots, blllicocl hat, and everyday
roundabout coat. Spurs and crop with
lash completed his rig.
"This is only following the harriers,' =
said he. "Wait till we get after foxes
and then you will see scarlet coats and
lots of style"
Harry mounted his beast, hand
some, strongly-built bay, aud ! joined
him on an equally good though less
pretentious animal. lie had Just
bought his hunter at Tattersall's for
about $500 in American money, al
though he had gone prepared to bid up
to $500. 1t was a horse that could
not have matched at the Balls Head
under $1,000.
a short canter brought us to the
meet at Lord --, we will say Lord
Clandon's. Approaching through a
park Of old and Majestic oaks, we soon
saw a residential pile before us such as
England can only boast of. Few Of
the royal residences of Germany up.
proach Lord Clandon's in beauty of
situation or majesty of proportion.
On tha lawn that stretched from the
fouse down through the trees to the
yer in the distance were assembled
in groups about thirty of the neighbor-
ing gentry, all well mounted. There
were several ladies among them
finely proportional, ruddy colorel
AmazOns, but, alas! how little beauty
The men, as a rule, wore ordinary sack
coats such as nine out of ten Wall
street men would wear during business
hours They wore either hunting
boots or CATERS the latter very excep.
tiontl. TO an American the most
striking feature of the group was the
absence of all attempt at wearing some
especial uniform. At last all are to.
gether on the lawn. The huntsman
comes up with q pack of twenty-five
barriers; the last girth is frightened;
the whipper-in cracks his lash; Lord
Clandon. ms master oe the hounds.
gives the word, and away we go out
toward the open country.
Wehave half an hour of uncertainty
with hedge now and then to give the
horses practice, when a chorus of yelps
is heard, and a hare starts off on
race for dear life. Away 60 the
hounds in his wake, the huntsman and
whipper-in with them. The field
follow as best they can, each picking
his leap as judiciously as the excite
ment will allow. The hare crosses the
road and | have a nasty leap ahead.
\ mud wall rises from the carrot field
about three feet, with about five feet
Of embankment, down into a road on
the other side. There is ditch beyond
the bank and repetition of the same
mud wall across the road. 1t is an
ugly bit. The man ahead of me is well
and | propose to follow him.
His horse, however, hesitates. He
takes his leap badly, and as | rise to
mine | see him and his horse in a
dusty heap right in the read before me.
1t is too late to recede. A lady is right
at my heels. The poor man looks
aghast ut what seems inevitable, but
10y a swerve Of my horse, which |
hardly dared expect 1T that moment, |
cleared him and was in the next field
before | could see what became of my
follower.
This was, fortunately, the only mis-
hap-a ruined horse and badly
shaken man.
And so the four hours of the hunt
went on. Good bits Of hard riding
Plenty of chances for the display of
manly qualities and capital opportu-
nifty to study the Englishman in the
sport that distinguishes him from all
the rest of the world. His eye flashes
in the hunting field as it never does
elsewhere. His sluggishness vanishes
when he is on u horse Of mettle. If
England suffers from a want of good
officers TO lead her troops it will be
when she ceases to recruit her staff
from the hard riding men that one sees
on such a daJ rs this.
Sleepless People.