88 The Chase 



A Glimpse ^i> y^> ^> ^^> 



IT so happened, my friends, that for some time I 

 was not hunted by hounds, and contrived to 

 extend my rambles till I was acquainted with a 

 great part of the country. Occasionally lying in my 

 kennel, if in an open covert, and hearing a pack of 

 hounds in full cry near, I moved ofF in an opposite 

 direction, but sometimes not without being seen 

 by some of the wide and skirting hunters, who lost 

 their day's sport in riding after me and hallooing 

 " Tally-ho ! " but I always kept quiet in my kennel 

 when I found hounds in full cry if I happened to be 

 in a strong gorse-covert. Thus passed off the greater 

 part of the first winter of my life. 



On one occasion I was lying in rather an exposed 

 place by the side of a pit, in the middle of a field, 

 when I saw a man pass by on horseback, who, on 

 seeing me, stopped, and after looking for a short 

 time, rode on. Till the noise of his horse's feet was 

 out of hearing I listened, and then stole away, which 

 was most fortunate, for in the course of a few hours 

 the hounds were brought to the pit, the man having 

 told the huntsman where he had seen me, as he 

 thought, asleep ; though we foxes, however it may 

 seem, are seldom otherwise than wide awake. 



When the month of February arrived, I showed 

 my gallantry by going and visiting an interesting 

 young friend of mine of the other sex in a large 

 covert some distance off, and there, to my chagrin, 

 I met no less than three rivals. 



One morning we were surprised to hear the voice 

 of Foster, drawing the covert with his hounds, and 

 giving his peculiar " E-dhoick ! e-dhoick ! kille-kid- 

 hoick " (probably for Eloe-in-hoick !). It seems 

 that none of us felt very comfortable or much at 



