CHAPTER THIRTY FOX-HUNTING 



Of all ways of earning a livelihood, perhaps there is none 

 that requires a greater degree of hardihood and acuteness 

 than the trade of a vermin-killer in the Highlands — mean- 

 ing by "vermin," not magpies, crows, and "such small 

 deer," but the stronger and wilder carnivorous natives of 

 the mountain and forest — the enemies of the sheep and 

 lambs. In the Highlands he is honoured with the title of 

 "the Fox-hunter"; but the Highland fox-hunter leads a 

 very different life, and heads a very different establishment, 

 from him of Leicestershire. When you first come upon him 

 in some wild glen, you are somewhat startled at his ap- 

 pearance and bearing. He is generally a wiry active man, 

 past middle age, slung round with pouches and belts for 

 carrying the implements of his trade; he wears a huge cap 

 of badger-skin, and carries an old-fashioned long- barrelled 

 fowling-piece. At his feet follow two or three couple of 

 strong gaunt slow-hounds, a brace of greyhounds, rough, 

 and with a good dash of the lurcher, and a miscellaneous 

 ^a?/ of terriers of every degree. 



A short time ago the foxes having made too free with 

 the lambs, the sheep farmer of the glen summoned the 

 fox-hunter to his assistance, and I joined him with my 

 rifle. Before daylight the fox-hunter and myself, with two 

 shepherds, and the usual following of dogs, were on the 

 ground, and drew some small hanging birch-woods near 

 the scene of the latest depredations. While the whole pack 

 of dogs were amusing themselves with a marten-cat in the 

 wood, we found a fresh fox-track on the river bank below 

 it, and after considering itsdirection leisurely, the fox-hunt- 

 er formed his plans. The hounds were coupled up and left 

 385 2B 



