hunting the grisly and other sketches-第29章

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inch　or　two　of　five　feet　high。　However；　the　horses；　thoroughly　trained
to　timber　jumping　and　to　rough　and　hard　scrambling　in　awkward　places；
and　by　this　time　well　quieted；　took　the　bars　without　mistake；　each　one
in　turn　trotting　or　cantering　up　to　within　a　few　yards；　then　making　a
couple　of　springs　and　bucking　over　with　a　great　twist　of　the　powerful
haunches。　I　may　explain　that　there　was　not　a　horse　of　the　four　that
had　not　a　record　of　five　feet　six　inches　in　the　ring。　We　now　got　into
a　perfect　tangle　of　ravines；　and　the　fox　went　to　earth；　and　though　we
started　one　or　two　more　in　the　course　of　the　afternoon；　we　did　not　get
another　really　first…class　run。

At　Geneseo　the　conditions　for　the　enjoyment　of　this　sport　are
exceptionally　favorable。　In　the　Northeast　generally；　although　there
are　now　a　number　of　well…established　hunts；　at　least　nine　out　of　ten
runs　are　after　a　drag。　Most　of　the　hunts　are　in　the　neighborhood　of
great　cities；　and　are　mainly　kept　up　by　young　men　who　come　from　them。
A　few　of　these　are　men　of　leisure；　who　can　afford　to　devote　their
whole　time　to　pleasure；　but　much　the　larger　number　are　men　in
business；　who　work　hard　and　are　obliged　to　make　their　sports
accommodate　themselves　to　their　more　serious　occupations。　Once　or
twice　a　week　they　can　get　off　for　an　afternoon's　ride　across　country；
and　they　then　wish　to　be　absolutely　certain　of　having　their　run；　and
of　having　it　at　the　appointed　time；　and　the　only　way　to　insure　this　is
to　have　a　drag…hunt。　It　is　not　the　lack　of　foxes　that　has　made　the
sport　so　commonly　take　the　form　of　riding　to　drag…hounds；　but　rather
the　fact　that　the　majority　of　those　who　keep　it　up　are　hard…working
business　men　who　wish　to　make　the　most　out　of　every　moment　of　the
little　time　they　can　spare　from　their　regular　occupations。　A　single
ride　across　country；　or　an　afternoon　at　polo；　will　yield　more
exercise；　fun；　and　excitement　than　can　be　got　out　of　a　week's　decorous
and　dull　riding　in　the　park；　and　many　young　fellows　have　waked　up　to
this　fact。

At　one　time　I　did　a　good　deal　of　hunting　with　the　Meadowbrook　hounds；
in　the　northern　part　of　Long　Island。　There　were　plenty　of　foxes　around
us；　both　red　and　gray；　but　partly　for　the　reasons　given　above；　and
partly　because　the　covers　were　so　large　and　so　nearly　continuous；　they
were　not　often　hunted；　although　an　effort　was　always　made　to　have　one
run　every　week　or　so　after　a　wild　fox；　in　order　to　give　a　chance　for
the　hounds　to　be　properly　worked　and　to　prevent　the　runs　from　becoming
a　mere　succession　of　steeple…chases。　The　sport　was　mainly　drag…
hunting；　and　was　most　exciting；　as　the　fences　were　high　and　the　pace
fast。　The　Long　Island　country　needs　a　peculiar　style　of　horse；　the
first　requisite　being　that　he　shall　be　a　very　good　and　high　timber
jumper。　Quite　a　number　of　crack　English　and　Irish　hunters　have　at
different　times　been　imported；　and　some　of　them　have　turned　out　pretty
well；　but　when　they　first　come　over　they　are　utterly　unable　to　cross
our　country；　blundering　badly　at　the　high　timber。　Few　of　them　have
done　as　well　as　the　American　horses。　I　have　hunted　half　a　dozen　times
in　England；　with　Pytchely；　Essex；　and　North　Warwickshire；　and　it　seems
to　me　probable　that　English　thoroughbreds；　in　a　grass　country；　and
over　the　peculiar　kinds　of　obstacles　they　have　on　the　other　side　of
the　water；　would　gallop　away　from　a　field　of　our　Long　Island　horses；
for　they　have　speed　and　bottom；　and　are　great　weight　carriers。　But　on
our　own　ground；　where　the　cross…country　riding　is　more　like　leaping　a
succession　of　five　or　six…bar　gates　than　anything　else；　they　do　not　as
a　rule；　in　spite　of　the　enormous　prices　paid　for　them；　show　themselves
equal　to　the　native　stock。　The　highest　recorded　jump；　seven　feet　two
inches；　was　made　by　the　American　horse　Filemaker；　which　I　saw　ridden
in　the　very　front　by　Mr。　H。　L。　Herbert；　in　the　hunt　at　Sagamore　Hill；
about　to　be　described。

When　I　was　a　member　of　the　Meadowbrook　hunt；　most　of　the　meets　were
held　within　a　dozen　miles　or　so　of　the　kennels；　at　Farmingdale；
Woodbury；　Wheatly；　Locust　Valley；　Syosset；　or　near　any　one　of　twenty
other　queer；　quaint　old　Long　Island　hamlets。　They　were　almost　always
held　in　the　afternoon；　the　business　men　who　had　come　down　from　the
city　jogging　over　behind　the　hounds　to　the　appointed　place；　where　they
were　met　by　the　men　who　had　ridden　over　direct　from　their　country…
houses。　If　the　meet　was　an　important　one；　there　might　be　a　crowd　of
onlookers　in　every　kind　of　trap；　from　a　four…in…hand　drag　to　a　spider…
wheeled　buggy　drawn　by　a　pair　of　long…tailed　trotters；　the　money　value
of　which　many　times　surpassed　that　of　the　two　best　hunters　in　the
whole　field。　Now　and　then　a　breakfast　would　be　given　the　hunt　at　some
country…house；　when　the　whole　day　was　devoted　to　the　sport；　perhaps
after　wild　foxes　in　the　morning；　with　a　drag　in　the　afternoon。

After　one　meet；　at　Sagamore　Hill；　I　had　the　curiosity　to　go　on　foot
over　the　course　we　had　taken；　measuring　the　jumps；　for　it　is　very
difficult　to　form　a　good　estimate　of　a　fence's　height　when　in　the
field；　and　five　feet　of　timber　seems　a　much　easier　thing　to　take　when
sitting　around　the　fire　after　dinner　than　it　does　when　actually　faced
while　the　hounds　are　running。　On　the　particular　hunt　in　question　we
ran　about　ten　miles；　at　a　rattling　pace；　with　only　two　checks；
crossing　somewhat　more　than　sixty　fences；　most　of　them　post…and…rails；
stiff　as　steel；　the　others　being　of　the　kind　called　〃Virginia〃　or
snake；　and　not　more　than　ten　or　a　dozen　in　the　whole　lot　under　four
feet　in　height。　The　highest　measured　five　feet　and　half　an　inch；　two
others　were　four　feet　eleven；　and　nearly　a　third　of　the　number
averaged　about　four　and　a　half。　There　were　also　several　rather　awkward
doubles。　When　the　hounds　were　cast　off　some　forty　riders　were　present；
but　the　first　fence　was　a　savage　one；　and　stopped　all　who　did　not　mean
genuine　hard　going。　Twenty…six　horses　crossed　it；　one　of　them　ridden
by　a　lady。　A　mile　or　so　farther　on；　before　there　had　been　a　chance　for
much　tailing；　we　came　to　a　five…bar　gate；　out　of　a　roada　jump　of
just　four　feet　five　inches　from　the　take…off。　Up　to　this；　of　course；
we　went　one　at　a　time；　at　a　trot　or　hand…gallop；　and　twenty…five
horses　cleared　it　in　succession　without　a　single　refusal　and　with　but
one　mistake。　Owing　to　the　severity　of　the　pace；　combined　with　the
average　height　of　the　timber　（although　no　one　fence　was　of
phenomenally　noteworthy　proportions）；　a　good　many　falls　took　place；
resulting　in　an　unusually　large　percentage　of　accidents。　The　master
partly　dislocated　one　knee；　another　man　broke　two　ribs；　and　another
the　present　writerbroke　his　arm。　However；　almost　all　of　us　managed
to　struggle　through　to　the　end　in　time　to　see　the　death。

On　this　occasion　I　owed　my　broken　arm　to　the　fact　that　my　horse；　a
solemn　animal　originally　taken　out　of　a　buggy；　though　a　very　clever
fencer；　was　too　coarse　to　gallop　alongside　the　blooded　beasts　against
which　he　was　pitted。　But　he　was　so　easy　in　his　gaits；　and　so　quiet；
being　ridden　with　only　a　snaffle；　that　there　was　no　difficulty　in
following　to　the　end　of　the　run。　I　had　divers　adventures　on　this
horse。　Once　I　tried　a　pair　of　so…called　〃safety〃　stirrups；　which
speedily　fell　out；　and　I　had　to　ride　through　the　run　without　any；　at
the　cost　of　several　tumbles。　Much　the　best　hunter　I　ever　owned　was　a
sorrel　horse　named　Sagamore。　He　was　from　Geneseo；　was　fast；　a
remarkably　good　jumper；　of　great　endurance；　as　quick　on　his　feet　as　a
cat；　and　with　a　dauntless　heart。　He　never　gave　me　a　fall；　and
generally　enabled　me　to　see　all　the　run。

It　would　be　very　unfair　to　think　the　sport　especially　dangerous　on
account　of　the　occasional　accidents　that　happen。　A　man　who　is　fond　of
riding；　but　who　sets　a　good　deal　of　value；　either　for　the　sake　of
himself；　his　family；　or　his　business；　upon　his　neck　and　limbs；　can
hunt　with　much　safety　if　he　gets　a　quiet　horse；　a　safe　fencer；　and
does　not　try　to　stay　in　the　front　rank。　Most　accidents　occur　to　men　on
green　or　wild　horses；　or　else　to　those　who　keep　in　front　only　at　the
expense　of　pumping　their　mounts；　and　a　fall　with　a　done…out　beast　is
always　peculiarly　disagreeable。