74 HUNTING REMINISCENCES 



ground for the young entry, so that in forty-three 

 mornings' work thirty-three brace were offered up 

 on the altar of learning. 



When a discussion was raised on the question 

 of digging out foxes, we drew Gillard on the 

 subject. "No one hates it more than I do," he 

 replied. " I should say that after November 1st in 

 each year, for the last twenty years, not more than 

 a brace in a season have been dug out. In the 

 cubbing season, however, when foxes go to ground 

 like rabbits morning after morning, it is ruinous to 

 a pack of hounds ; but to help them to get a fox 

 out not only makes them keen in their work, and 

 steady from riot, but it thus teaches them to mark 

 their fox to ground. In the regular hunting 

 season, for various reasons best known to the master 

 and the huntsman, it is sometimes necessary to dig. 

 Depend upon it, after a fox beats hounds by going 

 to ground, he will follow up his cunning, and if 

 one hole is stopped he will find another. I 

 should, therefore, with the help of a terrier, or by 

 other means, bolt him from drains and such like 

 places." 



The season was remarkable for wet and windy 

 weather, hunting being stopped ten days in 

 December, ten days in January, and three in 

 February. Of good days' sport recorded, that of 

 November 12th, from Kirkby Underwood, resulted 

 in two fair gallops over an excellent woodland 

 grass country. The day was a hard one for horses, 

 both whips being left behind to hunt up missing 

 hounds, and the distance back to kennels was not 



