120 THE DIARY OF A HUNTSMAN 



to have a better opinion of them. This was a two 

 years old fox which, through not having been 

 moved the first year he was turned down, survived, 

 and was as stout as any Enghsh fox. But it is 

 all waste, both of money and trouble, unless they 

 are left quiet for some time, as stated above, till 

 they get seasoned. That such was the case with 

 this Frenchman, the following account will prove. 

 He was found by the writer in the outskirts of his 

 country, and ran directly straight away through 

 the adjoining hunt, and was killed twelve miles 

 from where he was found. It was remarked that 

 the hair on the brush was longer and lighter 

 coloured than usual, and the fur on the skin was 

 finer and softer ; a member of the hunt in which 

 it was killed took up the fox, before he was given 

 to the hounds, and exclaimed at once, " D — d 

 odd ! " and it was ascertained by a mark to be one 

 of a lot from France the year before. 



It is probable that some may think it injudicious 

 to make known that such things are ever imported 

 into this country, but these persons should also 

 bear in mind that it may have quite a contrary 

 effect, for when men who are hostile to fox- 

 hunting think that they can destroy the means 

 of sport, they ought to know that any man who 

 likes to be at the expense of it, can import a 

 thousand foxes in a month. 



