106 THE DIARY OF A HUNTSMAN 



and if some hounds draw well in the afternoon 

 (when the great part of the pack are slack and will 

 not draw), it is because they are stout. 



The sagacity of old fox-hounds is far beyond 

 that known of most animals, and in nothing 

 greater probably than in their finding their way 

 home great distances. The writer was once left 

 upwards of forty miles from his kennel, after an 

 extraordinary run, which was described by Nimrod 

 some years back, and two hounds were missing 

 which were seen to go off with another scent at 

 the end of the run, when a fresh fox crossed them. 

 Nothing was heard of them for three days ; but on 

 the fourth they both found their way to the kennel, 

 not looking the worse for their travels. Had they 

 followed the track of the hounds that night, or 

 even next morning, it would not have been extra- 

 ordinary, of course. 



The following is another proof of sagacity. 

 Not long since the writer went to see a celebrated 

 pack throw off, he being mounted on a hack. 

 When they were running hard, and going across 

 the open — having left a large cover behind them — 

 at the edge of which he pulled up, on seeing them 

 at a check more than a quarter of a mile off, when 

 they came to a road. Just at this time the 

 whipper-in rode up to him and asked where they 

 were. On their being pointed out to him, it was 



