第3章
加入书架 A- A+
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  ButatlastJorrocksisthere,andthehoundstrotofftocover。

  Sodullhasbeeneverythingonthismorningthateventhatissomething,andmenbegintomakethemselveshappierinthewarmthofthemovement。Thehoundsgointocovert,andaperiodofexcitementiscommenced。Ourfriendwholikeshuntingremarkstohisneighbourthatthegroundisrideable。Hisneighbourwhodoesn\'tlikeitquitesowellsaysthathedoesn\'tknow。Theyremainstandingclosetogetheronaforestridefortwentyminutes,butconversationdoesn\'tgobeyondthat。Themanwhodoesn\'tlikeithaslitacigar,butthemanwhodoeslikeitneverlightsacigarwhenhoundsaredrawing。

  Andnowthewelcomemusicisheard,andafoxhasbeenfound。Mr。

  Jorrocks,galloppingalongtheridewithmanyoaths,imploresthosearoundhimtoholdtheirtonguesandremainquiet。Whyheshouldtroublehimselftodothis,asheknowsthatnoonewillobeyhisorders,itisdifficulttosurmise。Orwhymenshouldstandstillinthemiddleofalargewoodwhentheyexpectafoxtobreak,becauseMr。Jorrocksswearsatthem,isalsonottobeunderstood。OurfriendpaysnoattentiontoMr。Jorrocks,butmakesfortheendoftheride,goingwithearserect,andlisteningtothedistanthoundsastheyturnupontheturningfox。Astheyturn,hereturns;and,splashingthroughthemudofthenowsoftenedground,throughnarrowtracks,withtheboughsinhisface,listeningalways,nowhoping,nowdespairing,speakingtonoone,butfollowingandfollowed,hemakeshiswaybackwardsandforwardsthroughthewood,tillatlast,wearywithwishingandworking,herestshimselfinsomeopenspot,andbeginstoeathisluncheon。Itisnowpasttwo,anditwouldpuzzlehimtosaywhatpleasurehehasasyethadoutofhisday\'samusement。

  Butnow,whiletheflaskisyetathismouth,hehearsfromsomedistantcornerasoundthattellshimthatthefoxisaway。Heoughttohavepersevered,andthenhewouldhavebeennearthem。

  Asitis,allthatlabourofridinghasbeeninvain,andhehasbeforehimthedoubletaskoffindingthelineofthehoundsandofcatchingthemwhenhehasfoundit。Hehasacrowdofmenaroundhim;butheknowsenoughofhuntingtobeawarethatthemenwhoarewrongatsuchmomentsarealwaysmorenumerousthantheywhoareright。Hehastochooseforhimself,andchoosesquickly,dashingdownaridetotheright,whileahostofthosewhoknowthatheisoneofthemwholikeit,followcloselyathisheels,tooclosely,ashefindsatthefirstfenceoutofthewoods,whenoneofhisyoungadmirersalmostjumpsonthetopofhim。\"Doyouwanttogetintomypocket,sir?\"hesays,angrily。Theyoungadmirerissnubbed,and,turningaway,attemptstomakealineforhimself。

  Butthoughhehasbeenfollowed,hehasgreatdoubtastohisowncourse。Tohesitateistobelost,sohegoeson,onrapidly,lookingasheclearseveryfenceforthespotatwhichheistoclearthenext;butheisbynomeanscertainofhiscourse。

  Thoughhehasadmirersathisheelswhocredithimimplicitly,hismindisrackedbyanagonyofignorance。Hehasgotbadlyaway,andthehoundsarerunningwell,anditisgoingtobeagoodthing;andhewillnotseeit。Hehasnotbeeninforanythinggoodthisyear,andnowthisishisluck!Hiseyetravelsroundoverthehorizonasheisgallopping,andthoughheseesmenhereandthere,hecancatchnosignofahound;norcanhecatchtheformofanymanwhowouldprobablybewiththem。Butheperseveres,choosinghispointsashegoes,tillthetailofhisfollowersbecomesthinnerandthinner。Hecomesoutuponaroad,andmakesthepaceasgoodashecanalongthesoftedgeofit。Hesniffsatthewind,knowingthatthefox,goingatsuchapaceasthis,mustrunwithit。Hetellshimselffromoutwardsignswhereheis,anduseshisdeadknowledgetodirecthim。Hescornstoaskaquestionashepassescountrymeninhiscourse,buthewouldgivefiveguineastoknowexactlywherethehoundsareatthatmoment。Hehasbeenatitnowfortyminutes,andisindespair。Hisgallantnagrollsalittleunderhim,andheknowsthathehasbeengoingtoofast。Andforwhat;forwhat?

  Whatgoodhasitalldonehim?Whatgoodwillitdohim,thoughheshouldkillthebeast?Hecursesbetweenhisteeth,andeverythingisvanityandvexationofspirit。

  \"They\'vejustrunintohimatBoxallSprings,Mr。Jones,\"saysafarmerwhomhepassesontheroad。BoxallSpringsisonlyaquarterofamilebeforehim,buthewondershowthefarmerhascometoknowallaboutit。ButonreachingBoxallSpringshefindsthatthefarmerwasright,andthatTomisalreadybreakingupthefox。\"Verygoodthing,Mr。Jones,\"saysthesquireingoodhumour。Ourfriendmutterssomethingbetweenhisteethandridesawayindudgeonfromthetriumphantmaster。Onhisroadhomehehearsallaboutitfromeverybody。Itseemstohimthathealoneofallthosewhoareanybodyhasmissedtherun,therunoftheseason!\"Andkilledhimintheopenasyoumaysay,\"saysSmith,whohasalreadytwiceboastedinJones\'shearingthathehadseeneveryturnthehoundshadmade。\"Itwasn\'tintheopen,\"saysJones,reducedinhisangertodiminishasfarasmaybethetriumphofhisrival。

  Suchisthefate,thetoofrequentfateofthemanwhohuntsanddoeslikeit。

  THELADYWHORIDESTOHOUNDS。

  Amongthosewhohunttherearetwoclassesofhuntingpeoplewhoalwayslikeit,andthesepeoplearehuntingparsonsandhuntingladies。Thatitshouldbesoisnaturalenough。Inthelifeandhabitsofparsonsandladiesthereismuchthatisantagonistictohunting,andtheywhosuppressthisantagonismdosobecausetheyareNimrodsatheart。Buttheridingofthesehorsemenunderdifficulties,horsemenandhorsewomen,leavesastrongimpressiononthecasualobserverofhunting;fortosuchanoneitseemsthatthehardestridingisforthcomingexactlywherenohardridingshouldbeexpected。OnthepresentoccasionIwill,ifyouplease,confinemyselftotheladywhoridestohounds,andwillbeginwithanassertion,whichwillnotbecontradicted,thatthenumberofsuchladiesisverymuchontheincrease。

  Womenwhoride,asarule,ridebetterthanmen。They,thewomen,havealwaysbeeninstructed;whereasmenhaveusuallycometoridewithoutanyinstruction。Theyareputuponponieswhentheyareallboys,andputthemselvesupontheirfathers\'horsesastheybecomehobbledehoys:andthustheyobtainthepowerofstickingontotheanimalwhilehegallopsandjumps,andevenwhilehekicksandshies;and,soprogressing,theyachieveanamountofhorsemanshipwhichanswersthepurposesoflife。Buttheydonotacquiretheartofridingwithexactness,aswomendo,andrarelyhavesuchhandsasawomanhasonahorse\'smouth。

  Theconsequenceofthisisthatwomenfalllessoftenthanmen,andthefieldisnotoftenthrownintothehorrorwhichwouldarisewerealadyknowntobeinaditchwithahorselyingonher。

  IownthatIliketoseethreeorfourladiesoutinafield,andIlikeitthebetterifIamhappyenoughtocountoneormoreofthemamongmyownacquaintances。Theirpresencetendstotakeofffromhuntingthatcharacterofhorseyness,ofbothfasthorseynessandslowhorseyness,whichhasbecome,notunnaturally,attachedtoit,andtobringitwithinthecategoryofgentlesports。Thereusedtoprevailanideathatthehuntingmanwasofnecessityloudandrough,giventostrongdrinks,illadaptedforthepoetriesoflife,andperhapsalittlepronetomakemoneyoutofhissofterfriend。Itmaynowbesaidthatthisideaisgoingoutofvogue,andthathuntingmenaresupposedtohavethatsamefeelingwithregardtotheirhorses,thesameandnomore,whichladieshavefortheircarriageorsoldiersfortheirswords。Horsesarevaluedsimplyfortheservicesthattheycanrender,andareonlyvaluedhighlywhentheyareknowntobegoodservants。Thatamanmayhuntwithoutdrinkingorswearing,andmaypossessanagortwowithoutanypropensitytosellitorthemfordoubletheirvalue,isnowbeginningtobeunderstood。

  Theoftenerthatwomenaretobeseen\"out,\"themorewillsuchimprovedfeelingsprevailastohunting,andthepleasanterwillbethefieldtomenwhoarenothorsey,butwhomayneverthelessbegoodhorsemen。

  Therearetwoclassesofwomenwhoridetohounds,or,rather,amongmanypossibleclassifications,therearetwotowhichI

  willnowcallattention。Thereistheladywhorides,anddemandsassistance;andthereistheladywhorides,anddemandsnone。

  Eachalways,Imaysayalways,receivesalltheassistancethatshemayrequire;butthedifferencebetweenthetwo,tothemenwhoridewiththem,isverygreat。Itwill,ofcourse,beunderstoodthat,astoboththesesamplesoffemaleNimrods,I

  speakofladieswhoreallyride,notofthosewhogracethecovertswith,anddisappearundertheauspicesof,theirpapasortheirgroomswhentheworkbegins。

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