ad him in sometimes, though for a different purpose--at
least, in reality for a different purpose, though he always made hunting
the excuse for sending for him, and that purpose was, to try how many
silver foxes' heads full of port wine Tom could carry off without tumbling,
and the old fellow being rather liquorishly inclined, had never made any
objection to the experiment. Mr. Waffles now wanted him, to endeavour,
under the mellowing influence of drink, to get him to enter cordially into
what he knew would be distasteful to the old sportsman's feelings, namely,
to substitute a 'drag' for the legitimate find and chase of the fox.
Fox-hunting, though exciting and exhilarating at all times, except,
perhaps, when the 'fallows are flying,' and the sportsman feels that in all
probability, the further he goes the further he is left
behind--Fox-hunting, we say, though exciting and exhilarating, does not,
when the real truth is spoken, present such conveniences for neck-breaking,
as people, who take their ideas from Mr. Ackermann's print-shop window,
imagine. That there are large places in most fences is perfectly true; but
that there are also weak ones is also the fact, and a practised eye catches
up the latter uncommonly quick. Therefore, though a madman may ride at the
big places, a sane man is not expected to follow; and even should any one
be tempted so to do, the madman having acted pioneer, will have cleared the
way, or at all events proved its practicability for the follower.

In addition to this, however, hounds having to smell as they go, cannot
travel at the ultra steeple-chase pace, so opposed to 'looking before you
leap,' and so conducive to danger and difficulty, and as going even at a
fair pace depends upon the state of the atmosphere, and the scent the fox
leaves behind, it is evident that where mere daring hard riding is the
object, a fox-hunt cannot be depended upon for furnishing the necessary
accommodation. A drag-hunt is quite a different thing. The drag can be made
to any strength; enabling hounds to run as if they were tied to it, and can
be trailed so as to bring in all the dangerous places in the country with a
certain air of plausibility, enabling a man to look round and exclaim, as
he crams at a bullfinch or brook, 'he's leading us over a most desperate
country--never saw such fencing in all my life!' Drag-hunting, however, as
we said before, is not popular with sportsmen, certainly not with huntsmen,
a