CHAPTER XVI.
FOX-HUNTING IN VIRGINIA Better to hunt in fields for health unbought Than fee the doctor for a nauseous draught.
The wise for cure on exercise depend; God never made his work for man to mend.
-- DRYDEN.
It is my impression that the dining-car conductor on the Chesapeake & Ohio train by which we left Charlottesville was puzzled when I asked his name; but if he sees this and remembers the incident he will now know that I did so because I wished here to mention him as a humane citizen.
His name is C.G.Mitchell, and he was so accommodating as to serve a light meal, after hours, when he did not have to, to two hungry men who needed it.

If travel has taught my companion and me anything, it has taught us that not all dining-car conductors are like that.

Nor, I judge, can all dining-car conductors play the violin, pleasantly, in off hours, as does Mr.Mitchell.Better one merciful dining-car conductor than twenty who wear white carnations at their left lapels, but wear no hearts below them! The road by which we drove from the railroad into the fastnesses of Loudon County, where, near the little settlement of Upperville, the race meet of the Piedmont Hunt was to be held, suggested other times and other manners, for though we rode in a motor car, and though we passed another now and then, machines were far outnumbered by the horses which, under saddle, or hitched to buggies, surreys, and carts of all descriptions, were heading toward the meeting place.
On these roads, one felt, the motor was an outsider; this was the kingdom of the horse that we were visiting; soft dirt roads were there for him to trot and gallop on, and fences of wood or stone, free from barbed wire, were everywhere, for him to jump.
Throughout the week we had looked forward to this day, and even more, perhaps, to the party which, if we could get back to Washington that night, was to follow it; wherefore the first thing we did on reaching a place where information was obtainable was to inquire about facilities for leaving.

Herein my companion had the advantage of me, for there was nothing to prevent his departing immediately after the races, whereas I must remain behind for an hour or two, to learn something of fox-hunting as practised in this region.
By motoring immediately after the races to a neighboring town--Bluemont if I remember rightly--and there taking an interurban trolley to some other place, and changing cars, and going without his dinner, my companion found that he could get to Washington by nine o'clock.

My case was different.