Almostassoonaswegottothetopofthebankwecameoutofthewoodsoveralowbutawkwardrailfence，whereoneofournumber，whowasridingaveryexcitablesorrelcolt，gotafall。Thisleftbutsix，includingthewhip。Thereweretwoorthreelargefieldswithlowfences；thenwecametotwohigh，stiffdoubles，thefirstrealjumpingoftheday，thefencesbeingoverfourfeetsix，andsoclosetogetherthatthehorsesbarelyhadachancetogatherthemselves。Wegotover，however，crossedtwoorthreestump-strewnfields，gallopedthroughanopenwood，pickedourwayacrossamarshyspot，jumpedasmallbrookandtwoorthreestifffences，andthencameacheck。Soonthehoundsrecoveredthelineandswungofftotheright，backacrossfourorfivefields，soastoenabletherestofthehunt，bymakinganangle，tocomeup。Thenwejumpedoveraveryhighboardfenceintothemainroad，outofitagain，andonoverploughedfieldsandgrasslands，separatedbystiffsnakefences。Therunhadbeenfastandthehorseswerebeginningtotail。Bythetimewesuddenlyrattleddownintoadeepravineandscrambleduptheothersidethroughthicktimbertherewerebutfourofusleft，Lodgeandmyselfbeingtwooftheluckyones。Beyondthisravinewecametooneoftheworstjumpsoftheday，afenceoutofthewood，whichwaspracticableonlyatonespot，whereakindofcattletrailleduptoapanel。Itwaswithinaninchortwooffivefeethigh。However，thehorses，thoroughlytrainedtotimberjumpingandtoroughandhardscramblinginawkwardplaces，andbythistimewellquieted，tookthebarswithoutmistake，eachoneinturntrottingorcanteringuptowithinafewyards，thenmakingacoupleofspringsandbuckingoverwithagreattwistofthepowerfulhaunches。Imayexplainthattherewasnotahorseofthefourthathadnotarecordoffivefeetsixinchesinthering。Wenowgotintoaperfecttangleofravines，andthefoxwenttoearth；andthoughwestartedoneortwomoreinthecourseoftheafternoon，wedidnotgetanotherreallyfirst-classrun。
AtGeneseotheconditionsfortheenjoymentofthissportareexceptionallyfavorable。IntheNortheastgenerally，althoughtherearenowanumberofwell-establishedhunts，atleastnineoutoftenrunsareafteradrag。Mostofthehuntsareintheneighborhoodofgreatcities，andaremainlykeptupbyyoungmenwhocomefromthem。
Afewofthesearemenofleisure，whocanaffordtodevotetheirwholetimetopleasure；butmuchthelargernumberaremeninbusiness，whoworkhardandareobligedtomaketheirsportsaccommodatethemselvestotheirmoreseriousoccupations。Onceortwiceaweektheycangetoffforanafternoon’srideacrosscountry，andtheythenwishtobeabsolutelycertainofhavingtheirrun，andofhavingitattheappointedtime；andtheonlywaytoinsurethisistohaveadrag-hunt。Itisnotthelackoffoxesthathasmadethesportsocommonlytaketheformofridingtodrag-hounds，butratherthefactthatthemajorityofthosewhokeepituparehard-workingbusinessmenwhowishtomakethemostoutofeverymomentofthelittletimetheycansparefromtheirregularoccupations。Asinglerideacrosscountry，oranafternoonatpolo，willyieldmoreexercise，fun，andexcitementthancanbegotoutofaweek’sdecorousanddullridinginthepark，andmanyyoungfellowshavewakeduptothisfact。
AtonetimeIdidagooddealofhuntingwiththeMeadowbrookhounds，inthenorthernpartofLongIsland。Therewereplentyoffoxesaroundus，bothredandgray，butpartlyforthereasonsgivenabove，andpartlybecausethecoversweresolargeandsonearlycontinuous，theywerenotoftenhunted，althoughaneffortwasalwaysmadetohaveoneruneveryweekorsoafterawildfox，inordertogiveachanceforthehoundstobeproperlyworkedandtopreventtherunsfrombecomingameresuccessionofsteeple-chases。Thesportwasmainlydrag-
hunting，andwasmostexciting，asthefenceswerehighandthepacefast。TheLongIslandcountryneedsapeculiarstyleofhorse，thefirstrequisitebeingthatheshallbeaverygoodandhightimberjumper。QuiteanumberofcrackEnglishandIrishhuntershaveatdifferenttimesbeenimported，andsomeofthemhaveturnedoutprettywell；butwhentheyfirstcomeovertheyareutterlyunabletocrossourcountry，blunderingbadlyatthehightimber。FewofthemhavedoneaswellastheAmericanhorses。IhavehuntedhalfadozentimesinEngland，withPytchely，Essex，andNorthWarwickshire，anditseemstomeprobablethatEnglishthoroughbreds，inagrasscountry，andoverthepeculiarkindsofobstaclestheyhaveontheothersideofthewater，wouldgallopawayfromafieldofourLongIslandhorses；