16 THE FOGY DAYS AND NOAV ; 



A crash, a thug, our ears assail, 

 See there branching horns, cotton tail ; 

 Quick bounding past, as like a streak, 

 And right now's our time to speak. 



Bang, bang, our double-barrel went, 

 And two buck loads at him we sent, 

 Aha ! We see he drops, drops his tail, 

 His agile spring begins to fail. 



The pack sweep by, as like a storm, 

 They scent the blood and make it warm ; 

 And, like the wind, they follow fast. 

 And like a cyclone now have past. 



'Tis all over, the dogs at bay, 

 Glory enough for one short day ; 

 The chase is ended, the stag is dead. 

 The hounds around are gather-ed. 



Now in triumph, filled with pride, 

 The dogs at rest, are satisfied ; 

 Now we sound the gathering call, 

 Answer winds back from one and all. 



Have heard the signal and obeyed. 

 And up rides the jolly cavalcade ; 

 So went the hunt from day to day, 

 If not the same, then another way. 



Sometimes rewarded with a bruin. 

 Or sleek panther, a beast of ruin, 

 Wolf or catamount, all the same, 

 For we were out, our purpose game. 



Turkey and pheasant we often shot. 

 To grace the table, fill the pot ; 

 So all our summer days were spent. 

 For, like business, at it we went. 



