96 



THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNT. 



1830 



Mr. Vyuer, in " Notitia Venatica," relates as follows 

 an extraordinary instance of running a polecat to ground, 

 wliicli occurred with the hounds when Jack Wood hunted 

 them : 



I was vory young at the time, and had only just begun to take notice of 

 tlic work of hounds, but knew pretty well when they turned in a big wood of 

 300 acres, or if they were running in two or three bodies. 



HowcA'er, to hunt up my story, we found a fox in the Kenilworth Woods, 

 and after giving him a devil of a dusting for about two hours, ran him to 

 ground in a small head of earths in Long Meadows Wood. 



I was attending to the cry of the liounds just before they went to ground, 

 expecting to hear them stop and kill their fox, when suddenly they were 

 divided into two liodies, both of which ran to ground at the same place, and 

 within one minute of each other. Upon going down to the earth, I remarked 

 to Jack Wood that there were two scents, and I fancied a brace of foxes were 

 gone to ground. " There were two scents," said Wood, " but I am sure 

 there never have been two foxes before the hounds this morning ; it certainly 

 did apx^ear very strange for them to divide as they did during the last ring, 

 but we shall see." 



We dug down, and first of all found a huge polecat, and in a few more 

 minutes (the terrier still keeping at work) the hunted fox. 



" Well done. Master ! " said Jack Wood ; " you have got the best ear for a 

 young one, I ever met with in my life ! " 



I felt half a foot higher upon the strength of such a compliment from 

 such a quarter. 



Mr. Vyner was entered well, and when hunting his 

 own hounds compassed the 



DEATH OF MANY A FOX. 











