Another beautiful day favored the second meeting of the season, the only possible objection being that i¢ was rather warm, though this wasrectifiedinagood many cases by the "cooling" received as we went along. We take a preliminary objection to the change in the hour from o'clock to.2.45. The former allows more.time to the foxes to select the course without being unduly hurried, and nevertheless permits the hunt to be over and every one home before dusk.
Overweg's Bungalow was the appointed place, and there were.abont the same number present as on last Saturday, but we missed a few well-known sportsmen who have been always there, in the past few winters. Where is hard-riding Dunois and Kushan, where the Leading Broker, "the two Gentlemen of Puck" and others? The very heavy-weight was there, on Spite, and kept him "going, going" in a style that was admirable, across country—though we have sometimes found it monotonous at ahonse sale. Smiling Fungois showed up on Coroner, and notwithstanding a certain ditch at which we thought the hunt would be stopped to hold an inquest, we much mistake if this pony will not show us the way on an earl Saturday. We had the usual Naval Brigade trotting out the pick of the Maloo repositories, and we are always glad to see our friends from afloat. Variety is a chief essential at these meetings, and we want all we oan get of it. Our Naval friends represent only one service, but we hope fora change in this, and expect to see a few American oticers at future meets. The pursuit of paper over difiic ties is as ennobling as many other pursuits; and if anyone would like to sco a fine example of true heroism, a striking illus: tration of the fertility of haman resource in. battling with and overcoming the griefs that meet them, let them go to a paper hunt and observe the Doctor" nursing his all-mane-and-tail Malo, beauty, in order that he may live through it, and bring him in at the finish fairly well.up! Human nature may be studied in the country round Shanghai. Would anyone like to experience a momentary but delicious sense of pleasure at the troubles of his rivals? Let him be the fortunate one to get out of a steep ditch-leaving them there. Reverse the picture, and imagine yourself left on the wrong bank, wet half way up and bridle in hand, your pony in the middle, the Field gone, not a sound nor soul within reach, but some laughing natives on top of a mound, and is there any deeper woo? The phil: osophy of Hunts is an unwritten chapter, but we ahall be content with the above trifling contribution towards it, and return to the starters.
Tally-ho was called at a few minutes before 3 o'clock, and we went away together on the opposite side of the Si-ka-wei creek from the Bungalow, going towards the Arsenal for half a mile and then wheeling to the right. A ditch with a ledge on the opposite side was the only obstacle presenting difficulties in.this part of the journey, but some person.in a previous side, had, with a prophetic eye to the future of the country, placed & bridge contiguous, and beyond the customary tailing all went on again, Near Si-ka-wei there was a check, and everybody got up so that the Hunt was once more together, when the Elder Brother fortunately found' the scent, which lend straight to the Bridge and, going over it, we found ourselves on the French Road and had a straight and fast ride to the Hermitage, which we went round and then headed direct for the Settlement. To.this point netiing remarkable had occurred, A nonresident had exhibited conspicuous faith in his pony by letting him run away and have a finish in every field by himself; once he cannoned against Anonyma, and the latter's rider was afterwards chiefly.employed watching the lively gentleman in.case he should go for him again. As the last milo had been a burst, we went round the Her-mirage in single tile and the pace was still fast, until a scarcity of paper stopped the leaders and gave usafresh.chance. Another good spin and we came to a ditch that was an effectual stopper to all but a few. However, a talent for discovery led some of the field'.to the.right, where sve found a "hard place" and got over dry-shod. The doings of the ponies and riders at this difficulty would take too much space to relate, '¢Electricity" appeared to be able to pass everything-on land, but stopped at water, flatly declining to have anything to do with the subaqueous department; and when his rider at one time took a sublime header, it was not in the search for pieces of the plundered cable supposed to be concealed hereabouts, but only to give his mount a good example and show how
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.