MR HORNEY ON HUNTING

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume I, Issue 6, 11 February 1890, Page 3

MR HORNEY ON HUNTING

The following well-written article appears in the Nelson Colonist :— Sir, —Some time ago my business took me to Blenheim, and it happened to be during-'the hunting season, and an interested relation who will inherit mj property at death, put it into my head that I ought to have a day with the Blenheim hounds, and also introduced me to a party who would lend me a horse. The party said he had ,a dipper that would carry me, and would take me over hedges and ditches until I would fancy myself a sky-rocket. ‘ I don’t want a clipper,’ I replied, 4 neither do I want to be a sky-rocket, but if you. know a horse with a humble and contrite heart, one with a broken spirit, as if the remorse of an undivulged crime poisoned his existence, that is the horse that will suit me.’ 4 Don’t you tbink a clothes horse about your mark,’ said the party, scratching his whiskers reflectively. ‘Well,’ I replied, 4 providing you could decently cpyer it up with a saddle and bridle, perhaps it wouid.’ Then the party said he knew of the framework of an animal that was covered with air, that no one knew yet whether it was a horse, a cow, or a camel, that was quite at my disposal, I thanked him, and had the noble animal brought to the door. It was in very poor condition and covered with knobs, and had no hair under its armpits. I mounted my charger and rode gallantly away, and covered one mile in exactly one hour, which put my mind at rest, for I felt certain he would not run away with me. But he. was not a comfortable horse to ride, for when I wanted to bump the saddle he wouldn’t, and when he wanted to I couldn’t, so that before we had gone two miks I should have liked to ride like Mazeppa, at full length on his back, tied on with ropes. Next ray charger remembered something he ought to have done a week ago, and turned back to do it; but I objected to his turning back, so he kept waltzing round and round like a roasting-jack until I was quite giddy. When he got tired of this he laid down in the mud, put his head on me for a pillow and went asleep. Well, I really didn’t know what to do, until I heard a stable lad come whistling along the road. 4 My good lad,’ I said, 4 1 will give you a shilling if you will remove this horse from off my stomach.’ He said he would, so he gave the animal a terrific kick in his internal economy. 4 Get up,, Catsmeat, you brute, and none of your tricks,’ on which the animal got up, and, grossly insulted, tried to kick us back again. I should have liked to have tried the power of the human eye to quell the brute, but unfortunately they were so bunged up with mud that I had not the chance. I mounted again and made rapid progress, for 1 had the buy to push behind, and soon arrived at the meet. I will not insult the read, r’s understanding by saying 1 led the field ; but I did masterly lot of sk Finishing in the rear. The first thing we hunted was a butcher’s cart. We had a fine burst for five minutes, but the sausage purveyor flung out a beef bone, which threw thes dogs off the scent, and then stole away to cover. We then drew a likely patch of manuka scrub, and started a tom cat, which made a bee line for home, we in full cry after it. We brought it to bay in an apple tree, where it hissed and spat like a caravan full of pythorns. But an old woman came out and said she would summons the lot of us for cruelty to animals, so we whipped the dogs off and started again. The next thing we hunted was Farmer Turniptop’s brindled bull—that is to say we did not hunt the bull, for in fact the bull bunted us, and soon tossed up three d"gs and the whipperin into the regions of space. It was lucky the brute was hobbled, or he would have made one full pack into a euchre pack, We now concluded that we had had enough hunting for one day, so we picked up our dogs, and those that were turned inside out we pulled straight and sewed their tails on; but the whipper-in we left hanging out to dry about 20 feet up a rimu tree, and we promised to send him a ladder, but as the bull kept prancing and bellowing around anxious to interview him, I don’t think be felt lonely. I like hunting, but when a bull caps in without being asked, it shows great want of tact on the part of the bull; I would just as soon hunt money on the fourth of the month. But yet we had a glorious day, and as an old sportsman I must say I consider the Blenheim country as well adapted for hunting as Bengal is for skating.