HUNTING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 17 August 1888, Page 22

HUNTING.

BIRCHWOOD HOUNDS. Wednesday, August 8. A splendid day, unsurpassable for the time of year— the late eclipses of the sun and moon notwithstanding—found the above pack of dappled darlings in good key and condition at • GKOPER'S BUSH, where the farmers of the immediate vicinity had kindly given permission to have them extended over the ploughed land and lea. Groper's Bush, thescsne of the throw off, being situated about eight miles from Hivertou, and the same distance from Otautau on the main thoroughfare, it was not to be expected that many of tbe town folk would turn up to witness tho commencement of the ruu. since through the inaccessibility of the couutry, leading through swamp and b'g and over limestone cliffs, it was necessary to be fairly well mounted to keep the fii-ld and spotted musicians within thehorizou of one's _ vision and hearing. However, a good representative muster turned up,' and throughout the run was to be seen on every vantage ground the sturdy yeoman | jußt taking a " keek " at the field as it flitted past, the weather evidently being too good and valuable at this busy time to allow ot a prolonged gaze. . It was whispered the run was to be a heavy one, ' but beyond onu obstacle " whip " could see no indications ot it. It, was a decidedly ugly and ■ dangerous one, as all who will herewith take a glimpse of it as " whip " saw it will see. But it is an old saying. " The game was never yet worth a rap For s. rational man to play, Into which no accident, no mishap, Could possibly find its way." And so apparently said Mr Gardner, lion, huntsman and master, on The Hake; Mr Haekworth, on Kupert; Mr Saunders. The Moor;' Mr Hutchison, | Grey Friar; Mr Sutton, on Her Ladyship; Mr Smerdon, Civis ; Mr Basstian, Rnchael ; Mr Lyle, Wry Pecker ; Misses M'Kays, on Derby and Patch ; Mr Henderson. Flirt; G. Smith, lady Ellen; and the whip, on the always there, Ginger. I was sorry to iind two very popular lirst-flighi, sportsmen in Dr • Nelson and Mr Bridge unavoidably absent. A little niter 3 o'clock the hounds were laid on, aud in good form and music led their followers to a tall, but in pl-tees thin gorse, where everythiug baulked and had to be asked again, when Ginger, always about, showed the way, with The Eake in close attendance, and followed the pace makers up n road line to the right, down auother about five chains, then over a gorae hedge g.es The Hake, Derby, Patch, and Rupert. At the second attempt Ginger, The Moor's pilot (with The Moor his immediate attendant), Civis, Her Ladyship, Ruchael, Grey Friar, Lnuy Ellen, and The Flirt, with a local jumper or two bringing up the rear. Now over a bit of lea brings us to another small live fence, negotiated i with little alteration of positions, except that the whip is in his usual place, close to his hounds, and all the pilots stick to the pigskin ; across a ploughed paddock, evading bogs, and dodging down furrows, brings us to a rotten formation of fascines where a hurdle gate bars the way, and is cleverly left astern by Ginger, Patch, and Derby; The Moor leveling it and earning the gratitude of The Rake, Civis, Wupert, Grey Friar, and Wry Pecker who are his nearest companions. The scent is good and the going is merry over the lea outlining a swam v: looking out for broken culverts' we find within the game uns vision, a veritable parson's fence, a nice little enticing gorse in an unapproachable swamp ; there's uuthing for it but to file through a gate over a dilapidated broken bridge. This left behind with a few hairbreadth escapes, brings us in view of a steep limestone ridge, but no hounds— they are over and away. The summit gained , a nice table top presents itseif, where the forwards see themselves and the dappled beauties making for another obstruction much the same as the last ; but although the take off is better, goodness only knows what the landing is like. The Hake, Civiß. and Patch try it and leave it in tbe rear ; most of the others taking advantage of a friendly gate, file through. Over another rotten culvert, a half-mile of inclining lea, and galloped ovtr brings us to Mr Ward's homestead, and the little darlings are off the trail doing a nice bit of hunting with noses fast to the ground. Rattler's got it! There is music, and away they go over a pretty jump, followed by the hon. huntsman and whip, with the Riverton welter weight bringing up the rear on Wry Pecker with an up, up, over, ana successfully left a thing of the past by all hands. To the right a formidable double presents itself to view, the first part discounted by nearly all at first sight. The second instalment, only half a chain distant, takes a lot of doing, and is only negotiated by Ginger— who unshipped his rider for the first time this season— and the game 'un, Civis ; the rest, led by The Moor, whose muscular hind quarters can smash heavy timber, find a more congenial way through the now broken gateway. The scent, by* this time rather cold, was again lost, when our little heroes again got their noses down and showed us another bit of fine huuting. Pick it up, in lull cry they hark back to the road line just left, where a real old English hunting obstacle met the game uns gaze— an impenetrable 7ft gorse, with a sft five-bar gate for an alternative. " There you are," Bay the yokels, " that's the way : let us seeyou jump." But they were to be disappointed ; a few faced it, but only Derby turablpd through and got a heavy cropper. Civia, who was shown the gate, jumped gamely, but caught tho rail with a hind propeller, and fared the fate of Derby, opening the gate and letting the rest through. It is said this was the first time that Civis' pilot had cut the painter and severed his connection with the pigskin involuntarily for nine years— not a bad record for a constant rider, by any means. A half-mile of soft stubble aud two more dangerous culverts traversed, when a double over the road line isjr'efc with against an incline, and as the approach ji bad every head is turned at the first request, and. Civis, quick on his pins, leads the way, closely followed by The Rake, Her Ladyship, Rupert, The Moor, Ginger, Derby, liachael, Patch, and Wry Pecker. The little son ,of Duntroon and Ginger, with steam up, agairi repeat the performance of the last double.. The Moor rattles the timber of a made-up gateway and pilots the crowd through to a check on the top of a , hill, where the panting steeds testify to the holding nature of the going. After about twenty minutes' breathing time, during which the popular master indulged in a cursory glance over his followers, .with on occasional exchange of opinion on the past obstacles, a start was made again with the drag; a veritable "Reynard" having it in tow— a regular old fox at the game of liiting the scent. He did not go far before we lost him. After clearing a nice fence nearly all abreast, with Ginger and Grey Friar slightly in advance. The Moor and a few others refusing the first offer (on a bit of heavy ploughed ground); but after a clever bit of hunting on Factor's part, tho line was again taken up in full tongue over a low hedge that proved -to have plenty of wire in ' it, judging by • two or three empty hack saddles that were to be seen just vacated by a corresponding number of unfledged huntsmen. Through the gate of a wire fence, then another barb wire fence gateway filed through info a ploughed field, and away they go. The scent is again breast high, and the pace merry down furrows round swamps , and no w a hurdle gate threatens to impede the way approached by a slippery fascine formation. Ginger, Patch, Oerby, Th"=< Moor, Civis, Rupert-, and Her Ladyship in the order named are over, now a good crash and the way is clear to the evident satisfaction of the rest. Mr Allen Jones, who h»9 been busy navigating the crowd round the murky de-ps, now takes a leading position on his hack alongside of Ginger, and leads the way over a rotten culvert, closely attended by Derby, Patch, and The Moor. Civis, pulling double, goes through and turns ft somersault, the jar of the horse being saved by the rider's shoulder. Rupert, Eachßelj Her Ladyship, anfl Wry Pecker 'to the kill, close to the Otautan-»Rlvertoh road,' after about seven miles of n run, when: it's " Whoo-hoop't". Kill him and eat him ! " and a big rabbit falls a victim to the little favourites of the day

Three hearty cheers for the master, reiterated with extra force when he told them he might give them another run or two before the end of the month, brought a pleasant eight days' hunting carnival after the Birchwood hounds in the Western district to a close. The thanks of all sportsmen, great and small, are due to Mr Gardner for the spott lie has shown, and to the committee (Dr Nelson, Messrs Fraser, Bridge, and Wohlers) for the arrangements of the different meets. Whip. the term "sport." " Whip " in his peregrinations a few days, since came on a knot ot the old school discussing' the meaning of the of t-recurring term "sport" in V Whip's" contribution of sportiug news, some holding the view that it was the slang for a blackleg, others that it was in these days of abbreviations the identical stime word as sportsman. The latter way is that in •which ' r Wbip r uses it, and wishes it to be known that it has been far fromhis intentions to imply the old school version. The occurrence of the word will suggest itself to those interested, who "Whip" hopes will accept this explanation as thoroughly satisfactory. Whip. Wairio, August 13.