new ambition, are not solicitous to ride away to some other

covert because the fox may, perchance, be going there. Some are
thinking of the roads. Others are remembering that brook which is

before them, and riding wide for a ford. With none such, as I
presume, do you wish to place yourself. Let the hounds be your

mark; and if, as may often be the case, you cannot see them, then
see the huntsman; or, if you cannot see him, follow, at any rate,

some one who does. If you can even do this as a beginner, you
will not do badly.

But, whenever it be possible, let the hounds themselves be your
mark, and endeavour to remember that the leading hounds are those

which should guide you. A single hound who turns when he is
heading the pack should teach you to turn also. Of all the hounds

you see there in the open, probably not one-third are hunting.
The others are doing as you do, following where their guides lead

them. It is for you to follow the real guide, and not the
followers, if only you can keep the real guide in view. To keep

the whole pack in view and to ride among them is easy enough when
the scent is slack and the pace is slow. At such times let me

counsel you to retire somewhat from the crowd, giving place to
those eager men who are breaking the huntsman's heart. When the

hounds have come nearer to their fox, and the pace is again good,
then they will retire and make room for you.

Not behind hounds, but alongside of them, if only you can
achieve such position, it should be your honour and glory to

place yourself; and you should go so far wide of them as in no
way to impede them or disturb them, or even to remind them of

your presence. If thus you live with them, turning as they turn,
but never turning among them, keeping your distance, but losing

no yard, and can do this for seven miles over a grass country in
forty-five minutes, then you can ride to hounds better than

nineteen men out of every twenty that you have seen at the meet,
and will have enjoyed the keenest pleasure that hunting, or

perhaps, I may say, that any other amusement, can give you.
End

• ambition [æm´biʃən] n.雄心，野心；企图 (初中英语单词)
• whenever [wen´evə] conj.&ad.无论何时 (初中英语单词)
• endeavour [in´devə] n.&v.努力，试图，尽力 (初中英语单词)
• retire [ri´taiə] v.撤退；退职；退休 (初中英语单词)
• disturb [di´stə:b] vt.扰乱；使不安；打乱 (初中英语单词)
• remind [ri´maind] vt.提醒；使记(想)起 (初中英语单词)
• amusement [ə´mju:zmənt] n.娱乐；文娱设施 (初中英语单词)
• alongside [əlɔŋ´said] ad.在旁 prep.横靠 (高中英语单词)
• perchance [pə´tʃɑ:ns] ad.偶然；可能 (英语四级单词)
• huntsman [´hʌntsmən] n.猎人；管理猎犬的人 (英语四级单词)
• beginner [bi´ginə] n.初学者；创始人 (英语四级单词)
• impede [im´pi:d] v.妨碍；阻止 (英语六级单词)
• hunting [´hʌntiŋ] n.打猎 (英语六级单词)