THE FOX. 97 



certain of our liard-riding friends might be out 

 to over-ride tlie hounds and help to save us. 



Surely a fox who has escaped towards the 

 end of the season, and who knows that his side 

 of the country will not be drawn again for 

 many months, may exclaim with Pope — 



All partial evil is but general good, 



as he watches the hounds trot along the road 

 to draw other covers. It will be a sad day for 

 'the stately homes of England' if foxhounds 

 are ever abolished, and we suggest to the 

 serious consideration of the Secretary of the So- 

 ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 

 whether he ought not to bring an action against 

 Mr. Freeman and other gentlemen who, like him, 

 try to write down foxhunting, for, if they should 

 succeed, they will condemn to cruel sufferings, 

 by poison, trap, and gun, and to extermination, 

 one of the happiest of our wild animals. 



At present, however, the fox exists, and we 

 have to consider how he is to live to do our 



H 



