hunting the grisly and other sketches-第30章

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expense　of　pumping　their　mounts；　and　a　fall　with　a　done…out　beast　is
always　peculiarly　disagreeable。　Most　falls；　however；　do　no　harm
whatever　to　either　horse　or　rider；　and　after　they　have　picked
themselves　up　and　shaken　themselves；　the　couple　ought　to　be　able　to　go
on　just　as　well　as　ever。　Of　course　a　man　who　wishes　to　keep　in　the
first　flight　must　expect　to　face　a　certain　number　of　tumbles；　but　even
he　will　probably　not　be　hurt　at　all；　and　he　can　avoid　many　a　mishap　by
easing　up　his　horse　whenever　he　canthat　is；　by　always　taking　a　gap
when　possible；　going　at　the　lowest　panel　of　every　fence；　and　not
calling　on　his　animal　for　all　there　is　in　him　unless　it　cannot
possibly　be　avoided。　It　must　be　remembered　that　hard　riding　is　a　very
different　thing　from　good　riding；　though　a　good　rider　to　hounds　must
also　at　times　ride　hard。

Cross…country　riding　in　the　rough　is　not　a　difficult　thing　to　learn；
always　provided　the　would…be　learner　is　gifted　with　or　has　acquired　a
fairly　stout　heart；　for　a　constitutionally　timid　person　is　out　of
place　in　the　hunting　field。　A　really　finished　cross…country　rider；　a
man　who　combines　hand　and　seat；　heart　and　head；　is　of　course　rare；　the
standard　is　too　high　for　most　of　us　to　hope　to　reach。　But　it　is
comparatively　easy　to　acquire　a　light　hand　and　a　capacity　to　sit
fairly　well　down　in　the　saddle；　and　when　a　man　has　once　got　these；　he
will　find　no　especial　difficulty　in　following　the　hounds　on　a　trained
hunter。

Fox…hunting　is　a　great　sport；　but　it　is　as　foolish　to　make　a　fetish　of
it　as　it　is　to　decry　it。　The　fox　is　hunted　merely　because　there　is　no
larger　game　to　follow。　As　long　as　wolves；　deer；　or　antelope　remain　in
the　land；　and　in　a　country　where　hounds　and　horsemen　can　work；　no　one
could　think　of　following　the　fox。　It　is　pursued　because　the　bigger
beasts　of　the　chase　have　been　killed　out。　In　England　it　has　reached
its　present　prominence　only　within　two　centuries；　nobody　followed　the
fox　while　the　stag　and　the　boar　were　common。　At　the　present　day；　on
Exmoor；　where　the　wild　stag　is　still　found；　its　chase　ranks　ahead　of
that　of　the　fox。　It　is　not　really　the　hunting　proper　which　is　the
point　of　fox…hunting。　It　is　the　horsemanship；　the　galloping　and
jumping；　and　the　being　out　in　the　open　air。　Very　naturally；　however；
men　who　have　passed　their　lives　as　fox…hunters　grow　to　regard　the
chase　and　the　object　of　it　alike　with　superstitious　veneration。　They
attribute　almost　mythical　characters　to　the　animal。　I　know　some　of　my
good　Virginian　friends；　for　instance；　who　seriously　believe　that　the
Virginia　red　fox　is　a　beast　quite　unparalleled　for　speed　and　endurance
no　less　than　for　cunning。　This　is　of　course　a　mistake。　Compared　with　a
wolf；　an　antelope；　or　even　a　deer；　the　fox's　speed　and　endurance　do
not　stand　very　high。　A　good　pack　of　hounds　starting　him　close　would
speedily　run　into　him　in　the　open。　The　reason　that　the　hunts　last　so
long　in　some　cases　is　because　of　the　nature　of　the　ground　which　favors
the　fox　at　the　expense　of　the　dogs；　because　of　his　having　the
advantage　in　the　start；　and　because　of　his　cunning　in　turning　to
account　everything　which　will　tell　in　his　favor　and　against　his
pursuers。　In　the　same　way　I　know　plenty　of　English　friends　who　speak
with　bated　breath　of　fox…hunting　but　look　down　upon　riding　to　drag…
hounds。　Of　course　there　is　a　difference　in　the　two　sports；　and　the　fun
of　actually　hunting　the　wild　beast　in　the　one　case　more　than
compensates　for　the　fact　that　in　the　other　the　riding　is　apt　to　be
harder　and　the　jumping　higher；　but　both　sports　are　really　artificial；
and　in　their　essentials　alike。　To　any　man　who　has　hunted　big　game　in　a
wild　country　the　stress　laid　on　the　differences　between　them　seems　a
little　absurd；　in　fact　cockney。　It　is　of　course　nothing　against　either
that　it　is　artificial；　so　are　all　sports　in　long…civilized　countries；
from　lacrosse　to　ice　yachting。

It　is　amusing　to　see　how　natural　it　is　for　each　man　to　glorify　the
sport　to　which　he　has　been　accustomed　at　the　expense　of　any　other。　The
old…school　French　sportsman；　for　instance；　who　followed　the　bear；
stag；　and　hare　with　his　hounds；　always　looked　down　upon　the　chase　of
the　fox；　whereas　the　average　Englishman　not　only　asserts　but　seriously
believes　that　no　other　kind　of　chase　can　compare　with　it；　although　in
actual　fact　the　very　points　in　which　the　Englishman　is　superior　to　the
continental　sportsmanthat　is；　in　hard　and　straight…riding　and
jumpingare　those　which　drag…hunting　tends　to　develop　rather　more
than　fox…hunting　proper。　In　the　mere　hunting　itself　the　continental
sportsman　is　often　unsurpassed。

Once；　beyond　the　Missouri；　I　met　an　expatriated　German　baron；　an
unfortunate　who　had　failed　utterly　in　the　rough　life　of　the　frontier。
He　was　living　in　a　squalid　little　hut；　almost　unfurnished；　but　studded
around　with　the　diminutive　horns　of　the　European　roebuck。　These　were
the　only　treasures　he　had　taken　with　him　to　remind　him　of　his　former
life；　and　he　was　never　tired　of　describing　what　fun　it　was　to　shoot
roebucks　when　driven　by　the　little　crooked…legged　/dachshunds/。　There
were　plenty　of　deer　and　antelope　roundabout；　yielding　good　sport　to
any　rifleman；　but　this　exile　cared　nothing　for　them；　they　were　not
roebucks；　and　they　could　not　be　chased　with　his　beloved　/dachshunds/。
So；　among　my　neighbors　in　the　cattle　country；　is　a　gentleman　from
France；　a　very　successful　ranchman　and　a　thoroughly　good　fellow；　he
cares　nothing　for　hunting　big　game；　and　will　not　go　after　it；　but　is
devoted　to　shooting　cotton…tails　in　the　snow；　this　being　a　pastime
having　much　resemblance　to　one　of　the　recognized　sports　of　his　own
land。

However；　our　own　people　afford　precisely　similar　instances。　I　have　met
plenty　of　men　accustomed　to　killing　wild　turkeys　and　deer　with　small…
bore　rifles　in　the　southern　forests　who；　when　they　got　on　the　plains
and　in　the　Rockies；　were　absolutely　helpless。　They　not　only　failed　to
become　proficient　in　the　art　of　killing　big　game　at　long　ranges　with
the　large…bore　rifle；　at　the　cost　of　fatiguing　tramps；　but　they　had　a
positive　distaste　of　the　sport　and　would　never　allow　that　it　equalled
their　own　stealthy　hunts　in　eastern　forests。　So　I　know　plenty　of　men；
experts　with　the　shot…gun；　who　honestly　prefer　shooting　quail　in　the
East　over　well…trained　setters　or　pointers；　to　the　hardier；　manlier
sports　of　the　wilderness。

As　it　is　with　hunting；　so　it　is　with　riding。　The　cowboy's　scorn　of
every　method　of　riding　save　his　own　is　as　profound　and　as　ignorant　as
is　that　of　the　school　rider；　jockey；　or　fox…hunter。　The　truth　is　that
each　of　these　is　best　in　his　own　sphere　and　is　at　a　disadvantage　when
made　to　do　the　work　of　any　of　the　others。　For　all…around　riding　and
horsemanship；　I　think　the　West　Point　graduate　is　somewhat　ahead　of　any
of　them。　Taken　as　a　class；　however；　and　compared　with　other　classes　as
numerous；　and　not　with　a　few　exceptional　individuals；　the　cowboy；　like
the　Rocky　Mountain　stage…driver；　has　no　superiors　anywhere　for　his　own
work；　and　they　are　fine　fellows；　these　iron…nerved　reinsmen　and　rough…
riders。

When　Buffalo　Bill　took　his　cowboys　to　Europe　they　made　a　practice　in
England；　France；　Germany；　and　Italy　of　offering　to　break　and　ride；　in
their　own　fashion；　any　horse　given　them。　They　were　frequently　given
spoiled　animals　from　the　cavalry　services　in　the　different　countries
through　which　they　passed；　animals　with　which　the　trained　horse…
breakers　of　the　European　armies　could　do　nothing；　and　yet　in　almost
all　cases　the　cowpunchers　and　bronco…busters　with　Buffalo　Bill
mastered　these　beasts　as　readily　as　they　did　their　own　western　horses。
At　their　own　work　of　mastering　and　riding　rough　horses　they　could　not
be　matched　by　their　more　civilized　rivals；　but　I　have　great　doubts
whether　they　in　turn　would　not　have　been　beaten　if　they　had　essayed
kinds　of　horsemanship　utterly　alien　to　their　past　experience；　such　as
riding　mettled　thoroughbreds　in　a　steeple…chase；　or　the　like。　Other
things　being　equal　（which；　however；　they　generally　are　not）；　a　bad；
big　horse　fed　on　oats　offers　a　rather　more　difficult　problem　than　a
bad　little　horse　fed　on　grass。　After　Buffalo　Bill's　men　had　returned；
I　occasiona