THE FOX 



All through the centuries the fox has been a person, with a 

 personal name, and a claim on the sympathy of those who hunt him. 

 And this, both in life and in literature, is a point of vital importance ; 

 for without a feeling for his own duty towards his quarry or his ad- 

 versary, no man is a sportsman. 



Sir Henry Neivbolt. 



Trimbush the Hound on the Fox ^^> 



" TV /T OST foxes hang in cover as long as they 

 J[yJ|[dare or can. It is their nature to screen 

 themselves as much as possible, and they face the 

 open only when compelled and pressed. A fox that 

 has been often hunted, however, is of course more shy 

 than one who has not, and the devil's own, having 

 invariably met with a precious rattling whenever he 

 attempted to thread the covers, never hangs fire 

 now, but sweeps straight through them. In order 

 to be on good terms with him, therefore, we must 

 act in the same manner, and to lose no precious 

 second of time, remember, that the moment we 

 reach a cover, the chances are a hundred to one that 

 he is already through. If not, we shall instantly 

 know that the pull is in our favour by his hanging, 

 for, if it was not for the general rule of foxes hanging 

 in covers, they would serve us, in nineteen cases 

 out of twenty, as the devil's own does, and run us 

 clean out of all scent." 



" Being so crafty," returned I, " I'm surprised 



85 



