You will hardly assist your object in this respect by seeing the wood drawn,and galloping up and down the rides as the fox crosses and recrosses from one side of it to another.Such rides are deep with mud,and become deeper as the work goes on;and foxes are very obstinate,running,if the covert be thick,often for an hour together without an attempt at breaking,and being driven back when they do attempt by the horsemen whom they see on all sides of them.It is very possible to continue at this work,seeing the hounds hunt,with your ears rather than your eyes,till your nag has nearly done his day's work.He will still carry you perhaps throughout a good run,but he will not do so with that elasticity which you will love;and then,after that,the journey home is,it is occasionally something almost too frightful to be contemplated.You can,therefore,if it so please you,station yourself with other patient long-suffering,mindful men at some corner,or at some central point amidst the rides,biding your time,consoling yourself with cigars,and not swearing at the vile perfidious,unfoxlike fox more frequently than you can help.For the fox on such occasions will be abused with all the calumnious epithets which the ingenuity of angry men can devise,because he is exercising that ingenuity the possession of which on his part is the foundation of fox-hunting.
There you will remain,nursing your horse,listening to chaff,and hoping.But even when the fox does go,your difficulties may be but beginning.
It is possible he may have gone on your side of the wood;but much more probable that he should have taken the other.He loves not that crowd that has been abusing him,and steals away from some silent distant corner.You,who are a beginner,hear nothing of his going;and when you rush off,as you will do with others,you will hardly know at first why the rush is made.But some one with older eyes and more experienced ears has seen signs and heard sounds,and knows that the fox is away.Then,my friend,you have your place to win,and it may be that the distance shall be too great to allow of your winning it.Nothing but experience will guide you safely through these difficulties.
In drawing forests or woodlands your course is much clearer.
There is no question,then,of standing still and waiting with patience,tobacco,and chaff for the coming start.The area to be drawn is too large to admit of waiting,and your only duty is to stay as close to the hounds as your ears and eyes will permit,remembering always that your ears should serve you much more often than your eyes.And in woodland hunting that which you thus see and hear is likely to be your amusement for the day.
There is "ample room and verge enough"to run a fox down without any visit to the open country,and by degrees,as a true love of hunting comes upon you in place of a love of riding,you will learn to think that a day among the woodlands is a day not badly spent.At first,when after an hour and a half the fox has been hunted to his death,or has succeeded in finding some friendly hole,you will be wondering when the fun is going to begin.Ah me!how often have I gone through all the fun,have seen the fun finished,and then have wondered when it was going to begin;and that,too,in other things besides hunting !
