such a thick gluttonous beast I was forced to give him his last sweat pretty strong; he's a bit lazy after it, that's all." I was taken to the course feeling half dead, but was saddled and mounted. The excitement and my natural spirits caused me to rouse myself: this, no doubt, a good deal deceived my jockey. However, after giving me my up canter, he did remark to Turfman, "He goes devilish sticky this morning." I could but fancy he gave a peculiar suspicious look at Turfman, who pretended not to hear the remark, for he knew the excuse about the last strong sweat would not do here. We started for a while my energy supported me, but after that I felt all power die within me. Mechanically I went on near the finish my jockey, who had never before used whip or spur to me for more than a stride or so, now punished me most severely and uselessly. With my high temper, had I had the powers of exertion in me, I should not have borne it as he might have wished; but he might as well have struck a dead horse as me, for dead I was in spirit and powers. I was nowhere in the race. I do not blame the man: I doubt not he knew and felt he was cruelly abusing a willing and generous spirit, but his character was at stake: if the race was lost, he was bound to show it was no fault of his. Murmurs I heard all round"d-d shame,' "dead robbery," and so forth, saluted my ears, and no doubt Turfman's also. I was led off the course, and Mr. Turfman having done his business on it, was not long behind me. A sense of having endured wanton injury and insult often turns in man the kindest blood to gall. It did in me my energy returned: I vowed never again would I subject myself to the like. Turfman no doubt meant to turn his victim to account again by a winning race, for I was continued at work, and found myself on another racecourse. My jockey came to mount me: I knew him well, rushed at him open mouthed; he, fortunately for him, jumped aside. I would not let him mount. A hood was thrown over my head, and before I was aware of what was going on I felt him on my back : there I resolved he should not stay. I plunged till I fairly unseated him, nor would I again suffer him to mount; so, finding it useless to try further, and the start having taken place, I was led home. It was hoped I was only alarmed, and would get over it. Late in the year I was tried again, but my memory was good. I would permit no jockey to mount me. It was attempted to start me in my clothes, but I knew a jockey from my own lad. I had become savage to strangers; and now a piece of inhumanity was practised on me that I did not deserve, for my disposition was naturally good. Not knowing for what, I was led by my lad on to a large bed of straw in the yard; here he fastened a something on each of my pasterns, and in a few minutes I found myself on my back, tied and powerless. I fairly groaned and screeched with rage. I well remember my sufferings. I was allowed at last to rise. I felt as weak as the day I was foaled. No care, certainly, was spared to reinstate my health and spirits, and I fast recovered. Early in the spring I was again put in training, and again taken to a racecourse; but though pain and affliction had certainly worked a change in my feelings and temperament, it had not in my memory. The moment I saw the detested starting-post my fears of what might follow returned-no powers could get me up to it. My jockey tried coaxing-tried all he knew, and then tried severity. He got me up to the rest, or near them. The moment the start took place I wheeled round, and before my jockey

K

was aware of it I had run a hundred yards in an opposite direction. The next dodge attempted with me was to make, or attempt to make, my own lad ride me in an unimportant race in his stable dress. I carried him quietly enough; but the moment he took me to the start I bolted off with him, and ran off the course. Thus was a good racehorse spoiled by rascality, for here ended my racing career. I was sold, got into hands that used me well, and of my doings in one of our fastest countries as a hunter I may at a future time perhaps tell.

The fox has burst forth! the fox has burst forth!

O'er hedges and ditches he wildly flees!

Whilst horsemen and footmen

Pour forth through the glen;

Little reck they to break their own necks or horse' knees.

Down through the valleys, and over the hills,

The pack swiftly flies, with the huntsmen in view;

And on they career,

Without sorrow or fear,

While reynard before them still sweeps off the dew.

The mean and the noble, the rich and the poor,
Ride one 'gainst another-no distinction is there;
While tenant and landlord

Ride over the greensward

Side by side, nor for rents have they ever a care.
The gelding, he gallops across the wide field;
The sheep to a corner for safety all run;
And each man comes out,

With a gladdening shout,

From his homestead, to see all the rollicking fun.
Old fellows on crutches now grow young again,
And lustily run till they're quite out of breath;
And the young fellows all,
Both in cottage and hall,

Wish they were there, to be in at the death.

But reynard at last feels his strength giving way;
The hounds too, he hears, are close at his heel;
His eyesight grows dim,
There's a sinking within,

Which tells him too plainly he's eat his last meal.

And now in a hedgerow he warily skulks;
An old dog, however, lays hold of his hide;
And the others rush in

With a horrible din,

And poor reynard, alas! thus mournfully died.

123

ELEVATION SIGHT FOR RIFLES, &c.

Whatever may contribute to the improvements in gunnery at the present time, cannot fail to prove interesting to our readers, when rifle clubs are occupying so important a share of public attention. We therefore have no apology to offer for the publication of the following observations on the elevation sight for rifles, coupled with the illustrations annexed, which we recently received from a well-wisher to his country believing, that whatever assists in the ready use of the gun for quick firing will be appreciated by every one.-ED.

PP is a steel plate, which is let into the barrel in the usual way, or may form part of the rib of a double gun. The arms (A A) are flat slips of steel, working on a pin through the plate (P P) at H. Through the upper part of the arms, and near the edge, is inserted a wire or needle (N) of any required degree of fineness, and partially divided or notched in the middle, so as to form a visible centre. The arms and needle form the elevation.

When the arms are shut down, as in Fig. 2, the needle is received in a groove (C, Fig. 1), and the sight presents a perfectly smooth sur

A

f

P

Fig. 1.-Elevation raised-right side from Breech (not drawn to scale).

(Fig. 2.-Side view-shut down as when not in use.)

ace, even with the barrel, offering no impediment to the ready use of the gun for quick shooting at near and moving objects. When the elevation is required to be raised, the slider (S) is readily moved for ward by the right thumb along the slot (0) which gradually lifts the arms to any required point. To the slider (S) is attached a piece of silver as an indicator (B) which moves, with the slider (S) along a groove or slot (D), even with the surface of the plate (P P), on which surface, to the left, is marked a scale of elevations from 100 to 600 yards, or 1,000 in the largest size. The indicator (B) is quickly placed to any line on the scale. Medium size: range, about 500 yards; length of plate 1.2 inch, breadth 0.5, thickness 0.16; length of arms to needle, 0.6.

124

UNINTERRUPTED CONTINUATION OF THE

HUNTING

SEASON.

BY CECIL.

When the moon changes we may anticipate an alteration of the elements, is a prediction very generally expressed and often realized— events which have been anxiously watched, especially by those whose interests, pursuits, or pleasures are connected with rural destinies. The moon has passed many phases, yet no change has taken place in the weather. Constant rains and boisterous storms have characterized the season it may be fairly designated the pluvial winter. But with all the storms and tempests favourable scents have generally prevailed, except on lands actually flooded. An elucidation of the aforesaid phenomenon might be interesting in some cases; but as the goodness or badness of scent is not within human control, it would only form a portion of theory connected with the "noble science."

It is universally allowed that most packs have had an unprecedented succession of sport in countries which have not been under water, and consequently the wear and tear of horseflesh has been enormous. As an example, I will instance one gentleman who commenced the season on the first of November with seven hunters, "all quite fit to go, who had five out of the number hors de combat on the first of January. There are many others whose equine forces are reduced nearly in a similar ratio, and numbers of those which are able to put in an appearance at the covert-side look remarkably seedy and weatherbeaten. Indeed the same remark may include men as well as horses; for the wardrobe departments, unless very bountifully supplied and frequently renewed, give evidence of the tempests which the garments have encountered. Whether over the grass or the plough, it is distressing to horses in the extreme, as strains, overreaches, and suck-like catastrophes demonstrate. The grass lands are frequently more than fetlock deep; and as the operation of draining is being carried on somewhat extensively on many estates, it is not an uncommon occurrence to have to cross meadows where that important process is being performed. In those fields where the drains still remain uncovered, horses have necessarily to collect themselves in deep ground every ten yards, to get over the drains and heaps of earth parallel therewith; or, if the drain happen to be filledin, and a horse chance to place his foot on the hollow soil, he is let in up to his knee, and very probably let down on to his head. The fences which in ordinary seasons may not be very formidable ones, are so now: the taking-off is not only deep, but absolutely rotten and slippery, and the soil giving way under the horse's feet, a fall or a scramble is the frequent result with the most accomplished. If there be a brook in the line, of naturally modest pretensions, it is rendered difficult to negociate from the quantity of water which it contains, and the boggy deceptive condition of the banks. How they contrive to get across many parts of

Leicestershire is to me a perfect mystery. With early reminiscences of the country about Brooksby, Ratcliffe, Thrussington, and all other places bordering on the Wreake, or even Widmerpool and Six Hills, I should imagine them now to be quite impracticable, unless mounted on a breed of horses similar to that which a Chinese is related as having compared his friend's son to, who was about to be united to his daughter, that he (the son) " is like a fairy horse who can cross through water, and is able to ride upon the wind and waves." An importation of such animals from China would be very valuable at the present period.

To calculate upon hunting without getting wet-aye, thoroughly drenched to the skin-on any day since the middle of October last, would denote the most infelicitous oblivion of past experience. If the night has been fair when you retired to your slumbers, deluded with the fallacious hope of a fine hunting morning, peradventure you have been disturbed by the wind and rain pelting against your dormitory, and then you have dreamed of disasters by flood and field which have in all probability been realized on the morrow. Should a fine morning excite your lively imagination, and induce you to give preference to your leathers rather than to encasements of woollen fabric, it is a hundred to one but you return home wet through, censuring your vanity and the fashion that recognizes " cold tripe.' What if a decidedly wet morning greets you on emancipating from your couch? You are intent on hunting, and your determination is fixed when you hum over the two lines of the old song

"The wife around her husband flings her arms to make him stay,
'It hails, it rains, my dear it blows, you cannot hunt to-day.'

But a hunting you will go.

Has the inauspicious condition of the elements kept sportsmen from the covert-side? Not a bit of it. There are just as many assembled at the places of meeting as ever. Weather which in ordinary seasons would have kept zealous votaries of Diana at the billiard-tables, in their libraries, or by their firesides, has not had its accustomed influence. We have become so accustomed to wet that we do not heed it; and if it continues we bid fair to be classed by naturalists among the order of amphibious animals. We certainly cannot say we live upon dry land, and pretty nearly half our time we are enveloped in water.

The general character of the English sportsman undoubtedly never stood so high, if it be fairly analyzed, as it does at the present period, and it is a gratifying fact that their numbers are daily increasing. At one time some apprehensions existed, not altogether groundless, that steeple-chasing would seduce the rising generation from the legitimate sports of the field; and when at its zenith it probably had that effect to a certain extent; but the remedy has issued out of the very questionable proceedings with which the diversion has within the last few years been undisguisedly characterized. The term of sportsman, if properly interpreted, signifies a man who delights in the legitimate sport of the field, whether it be racing, hunting, shooting, or fishing. With him the sport must be conducted according to fair and honourable practices. In this category all classes may be enrolled, from the most affluent peer to the poorest peasant; but if the peer were to transgress the conventional rules of sporting, he would be no more entitled to the honourable