Evening star., 1936-06-07

nothlng OF the glor1eS OF the breaking
day; his breast never expands with the
morning air; he never sees the silver
sparkle of the early dew; he never
hears the echoing voice of the baying
hounds; the captured fox never brings
to his lips the victor's cheer. He rises
whenever the spirit, enterprise or in
dolence allows him and occupies him
self with whatever affairs Providence
in It's infinite wisdom has seen fit to
entrust to his diligence and judgment.
When the day has passed its zenith he
rides leisurely to the meet, or the
place where the Nimrods in cutaways
and top boots and the Dianas in silk
hats and trousers have gathered. to
await the signal to begin the chase.
HERE are assembled, in many car
riages of every kind, their
friends and other spectators, either
too mindful of the safety of their
necks or too unskilled in riding a
flying horse to participate in the sport
of the day. Two of the horsemen
have been provided with bags, usually
leather hunting bags, filled with bits
Of blue and yellow or blue and pink
or red and yellow tissue paper; they
are known as the 'hareS'; they take
the place Of the foxes; they, or rather
the bits Of paper in the bags over
their shoulders, are to be ridden down,
to be pursued to the finish where
in days gone by the crafty fox was
torn to pieces by the savage hounds.
When everything is ready the signal
is given, and away they 60, taking the
route that had two or three days be-
fore been selected and ridden over.
If the chase Is to be q short one Of
S or miles, they are given a start
Of or 8 minutes: II q longer
one of 10 or IL miles, the time allowed
them is 10 or Is minutes. This mer-
ciful provision of the sport is to en-
able the hares to get so far ahead
that they shall not be overtaken and
theoretically slain before the finish.
AS they ride away, the movements Of
the horses scatter the paper from the
bags, and f1uttering for a moment in
the air like wounded birds, fall to the
ground. Thus the trail Is laid To
confuse and mystify the riders that
are to follow, and that are known as
the hounds the hares strike of here
and there from the main course, thus
giving false scent; after riding half
mile or more, they return to it and
pursue it with deviations to the finish
If the trail is a very long one, boys
with other bags full Of paper are
stationed at convenient intervals, sup
plying the needed scent.
"Hark the shril trumpet sounds to
horse, away. This noisy instrument
has been blown by the leader of the
pack already impatient to be let
loose on the poor hareS From so to
100 riders, both men and women, take
the trail at once and dash away. In
the paper hunts, as conducted in
Washington, there is at this time
much confusion. Perfect skill in the
management of horse is not yet one
of the accomplishments of many of
the equestrians of this city. Collisions
are frequent and exasperating. Hot
headed riders, unfamiliar with the OBJ
servances of the chase, plunge into it
with all the inpetuous energy Of
racers. There is no attempt to save
the strength of the horse for the fin
ish. Down hills, over gulleys and
fences, through woods and brush, over
plowed fields and grassy meadows, up
and down the narrowest bride paths
that ever wound in and out Of the
deepest Virginia gorge, they ride as
fast as the horsemen that carried the
good news from Aix,' and far more
recklessly. Little wonder that horses
run into each other, caroming like
billiard balls; little wonder that they
Jump into bitches and turn somer-
saults as neatly and completely as the
most Skillful of Barnum's acrobats;
little wonder that they strike against
trees or fall on their launches or
stumble over fences; neither they nor
their riders are adopts at cross-coun-
try riding; little wonder that un-
horsed ladies are dragged by the
heels, or suspended from branches like
Davids wayward son; little wonder
that men are thrown o. their heads
in a ditch, or on a stone heap, and
picked up bleeding and senseless, with
shoulder crushed or rib broken or
ankle dislocated.
IT UNDOUBTEDLY Heaven feels
called upon to rebuke reckless
ness in some way, and these ways are
probably as effective as any. But
while the cold -blooded philosopher
might think at heart like courtly
Chesterfield, who after long chase
over hills, dales and bushes and what
not, though he rode beyond ali. price,
asked next day, If men were hunted
twice these mishaps only whet the
appetite of the Washington riders;
the more danger, the more sport.
"It Is at the finish that the paper
chase rises to its impressive climax.
As soon as the hounds vanish from
sight, spectators are told where this
is to take place. The carriages and
the timid or unskilled riders move at
leisurely pace to the point desig-
mated. Here, staked OF for some dis
tance with little flags, is the course
that the hounds will take to reach
the finish, which is indicated by a
pole. To afford the riders an oppor-
tunity to show the ability of their
horses to Jump, and to exhibit their
own marvellous skill in cinging to
the saddle, several hurdles are built
near the end Of the course. These
hurdles are simply low fences en-
twined with evergreen to give them
a substantial look; without this simu-
lation, the advancing horse is not
likely to make the necessary effort to
clear the obstacle. The top rail Is
usually loose, so that If the animal
strikes his foot he win not stumble
and fall. For the benefit Of those
horses that do not Jump, or for those
riders that cannot hold their seat in
the vault. space Is left between the
hurdles and the flags for the animals
to pass through. Along both sides of
the course, in tally-hoes, landsus,
-