Heknowsthattheconditionofahunterandagreyhoundshouldnotbethesame，andthathishorse，tobeingoodworkinghealth，shouldcarrynearlyallthehardfleshthathecanputuponhim。Howsuchanonemustlaughinhissleeveatthefivehuntersoftheyoungswellwho，afterall，isbroughttogriefinthemiddleoftheseason，becausehehasgotnothingtoride！A
farmer\'shorseisneverlame，neverunfittogo，neverthrowsoutcurbs，neverbreaksdownbeforeorbehind。Likehismaster，heisnevershowy。Hedoesnotpaw，andprance，andarchhisneck，andbidtheworldadmirehisbeauties;but，likehismaster，heisuseful;andwhenheiswanted，hecanalwaysdohiswork。
Ofortunatusnimiumagricola，whohasonehorse，andthatagoodone，inthemiddleofahuntingcountry！
THEMANWHOHUNTSANDNEVERJUMPS。
TheBritishpublicwhodonothuntbelievetoomuchinthejumpingofthosewhodo。Itisthoughtbymanyamongthelaitythatthehuntingmanisalwaysintheair，makingclearflightsoverfive—barredgates，six—footwalls，anddoublepostsandrails，atnoneofwhichwouldtheaveragehuntingmananymorethinkofridingthanhewouldatasmallhouse。WeusedtohearmuchoftheGalwayBlazers，anditwassupposedthatinCountyGalwayastiff—builtwallsixfeethighwasthesortofthingthatyoucustomarilymetfromfieldtofieldwhenhuntinginthatcomfortablecounty。SuchlittleimpedimentsweretheordinaryfoodofarealBlazer，whowassupposedtoaddanotherfootofstoneworkandasodofturfwhendesirousofmakinghimselfconspicuousinhismomentsofsplendidambition。TwentyyearsagoIrodeinGalwaynowandthen，andIfoundthesix—footwallsallshornoftheirglory，andthatmenwhoseneckswereofanyvaluewereveryanxioustohavesomepreliminaryknowledgeofthenatureofthefabric，whetherforinstanceitmightbesolidorbuiltofloosestones，beforetheytrustedthemselvestoanencounterwithawalloffourfeetandahalf。Andhere，inEngland，history，thatnursingmotheroffiction，hasgivenhuntingmenhonourswhichtheyhereneverfairlyearned。Thetraditionalfive—barredgateis，asarule，usedbyhuntingmenasitwasintendedtobeusedbytheworldatlarge;thatistosay，theyopenit;andthedoublepostsandrailswhichlooksoveryprettyinthesportingpictures，arethoughttobeveryuglythingswheneveranideaofridingatthempresentsitself。Itiswellthatmothersshouldknow，mothersfulloffearfortheirboyswhoarebeginning，thatthenecessaryjumpingofthehuntingfieldisnotafterallofsoverytremendousanature;
anditmaybewellalsotoexplaintothemandtoothersthatmanymenhuntwithgreatsatisfactiontothemselveswhoneverbyanychancecommitthemselvestotheperilofajump，eitherbigorlittle。
Andthereismuchexcellentgoodsenseinthemodeofridingadoptedbysuchgentlemen。Somemenrideforhunting，someforjumping，andsomeforexercise;some，nodoubt，forallthreeofthesethings。Givenamanwithadesireforthelatter，notasteforthesecond，andsomepartialityforthefirst，andhecannotdobetterthanrideinthemannerIamdescribing。Hemaybesurethathewillnotfindhimselfalone;andhemaybesurealsothathewillincurnoneofthatridiculewhichthenon—huntingmanisdisposedtothinkmustbeattachedtosuchapursuit。Butthemanwhohuntsandneverjumps，whodeliberatelymakesuphismindthathewillamusehimselfafterthatfashion，mustalwaysrememberhisresolve，andbetruetotheconductwhichhehaslaiddownforhimself。Hemustjumpnotatall。Hemustnotjumpalittle，whensomespurtorspiritmaymovehim，orhewillinfalliblyfindhimselfintrouble。TherewasanoldDukeofBeaufortwhowasakeenandpracticalsportsman，amasterofhounds，andaknownNimrodonthefaceoftheearth;buthewasamanwhohuntedandneverjumped。Hisexperiencewasperfect，andhewasalwaystruetohisresolution。Nothingevertemptedhimtocrossthesmallestfence。Heusedtosayofaneighbourofhis，whowasnotsoconstant，\"Jonesisanass。Lookathimnow。
Thereheis，andhecan\'tgetout。Jonesdoesn\'tlikejumping，buthejumpsalittle，andIseehimpoundedeveryday。Ineverjumpatall，andI\'malwaysfreetogowhereIlike。\"TheDukewascertainlyright，andJoneswascertainlywrong。Togetintoafield，andthentohavenowayofgettingoutofit，isveryuncomfortable。Aslongasyouareontheroadyouhaveawayopenbeforeyoutoeveryspotontheworld\'ssurface，open，orcapableofbeingopened;orevenifincapableofbeingopened，notpositivelydetrimentaltoyouaslongasyouareontherightside。Butthatfeelingofaprisonundertheopenairisveryterrible，andisrenderedalmostagonizingbytheprisoner\'sconsciousnessthathispositionistheresultofhisownimprudenttemerity，ofanaudacitywhichfallsshortofanyefficaciouspurpose。Whenhoundsarerunning，thehuntingmanshouldalways，atanyrate，beabletorideon，torideinsomedirection，eventhoughitbeinawrongdirection。Hecanthenflatterhimselfthatheisridingwideandmakingalineforhimself。Buttobeentrappedintoafieldwithoutanypowerofgettingoutofit;toseetheredbacksoftheforwardmenbecomingsmallerandsmallerinthedistance，tillthelastspeckdisappearsoversomehedge;toseethefencebeforeyouandknowthatitistoomuchforyou;torideroundandroundinanagonyofdespairwhichisbynomeansmute，andatlasttogivesixpencetosomeboytoconductyoubackintotheroad;thatiswretched:thatisrealunhappiness。Iam，therefore，verypersistentinmyadvicetothemanwhopurposestohuntwithoutjumping。Lethimnotjumpatall。Tojump，butonlytojumpalittle，isfatal。LethimthinkofJones。
Themanwhohuntsanddoesn\'tjump，presuminghimnottobeadukeoranymangreatlyestablishedasaNimrodinthehuntingworld，generallycomesoutinablackcoatandahat，sothathemaynotbespeciallyconspicuousinhisdeviationsfromthelineoftherunning。Hebeganhishuntingprobablyinsearchofexercise，buthasgraduallycometoaddapeculiaramusementtothatpursuit;andofacertainphaseofhuntingheatlastlearnsmorethanmostofthosewhorideclosesttothehounds。Hebecomeswonderfullyskillfulinsurmisingthelinewhichafoxmayprobablytake，andinkeepinghimselfuponroadsparalleltotheruckofthehorsemen。Heisstudiousofthewind，andknowstoapointofthecompasswhenceitisblowing。Heisintimatelyconversantwitheverycovertinthecountry;and，beyondthis，isacquaintedwitheveryearthinwhichfoxeshavehadtheirnurseries，orarelikelytolocatethem。Heremembersthedrainsonthedifferentfarmsinwhichthehuntedanimalmaypossibletakerefuge，andhasamemoryevenforrabbit—holes。Hiseyebecomesaccustomedtodistinguishtheformofamovinghorsemanoverhalf—a—dozenfields;andlethimseebutacapofanyleadingman，andhewillknowwhichwaytoturnhimself。Hisknowledgeofthecountryiscorrecttoamarvel。Whilethemanwhoridesstraightisaltogetherignorantofhiswhereabouts，andwillnotevendistinguishthewoodsthroughwhichhehasriddenscoresoftimes，themanwhoridesandneverjumpsalwaysknowswhereheiswiththeutmostaccuracy。Whereparishisdividedfromparishandfarmfromfarm，hasbeenastudytohim;andhehaslearnedthepurposeandbearingofeverylane。Heisneverthrownout，andknowsthenearestwayfromeverypointtopoint。Iftherebealineofgatesacrossfromoneroadtoanotherhewillusethem，buthewillcommithimselftoalineofgatesonthelandofnofarmerwhousespadlocks。
Ashetrotsalongtheroad，occasionallybreakingintoagallopwhenheperceivesfromsomesignknowntohimthatthehuntisturningfromhim，heisgenerallyaccompaniedbytwoorthreeunfortunateswhohavelosttheirwayandhavestraggledfromthehounds;andtothemheisaguide，philosopher，andfriend。Heisgood—naturedforthemoment，andpatronizesthelostones。Heinformsthemthattheyareatlastintherightway，andconsolesthembyassurancesthattheyhavelostnothing。
\"Thefoxbroke，youknow，fromthesharpcornerofGranby—wood，\"
hesays;\"theonlyspotthatthecrowdhadleftforhim。Isawhimcomeout，standingonthebridgeintheroad。Thenheranup—
windasfarasGreen\'sbarn。\"\"Ofcoursehedid，\"saysoneoftheunfortunateswhothinksherememberssomethingofabarnintheearlypartoftheperformance。\"Iwaswiththethreeorfourfirstasfarasthat。\"\"Thereweretwentymenbeforethehoundsthere，\"saysourmanoftheroad，whoisnotwithoutagrainofsarcasm，andcanuseitwhenheisstrongonhisownground。
\"Well，heturnedthere，andranbackverynearthecorner;buthewasheadedbyasheep—dog，luckily，andwenttotheleftacrossthebrook。\"\"Ah，that\'swhereIlostthem，\"saysoneunfortunate。