194 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



for a fresh fox : I would rather they had undergone 

 severe discipline. The finding of another fox with 

 them afterwards, might then have been of service ; 

 otherwise, in my opinion, it could only serve to en- 

 courage them in the vice, and make them worse and 

 worse. 



I must mention an instance of extraordinary sagacity 

 in a fox-beagle that once belonged to the Duke of 

 Cumberland. I entered him at hare, to which he was 

 immediately so steady, that he would run nothing else. 

 When a fox was found by the beagles, which some- 

 times happened, he would instantly come to the heels 

 of the huntsman's horse. Some years afterwards I 

 hunted fox only, and, though I parted with most of 

 the others, I kept him. He went out constantly with 

 the pack ; and, as hares were scarce in the country 

 that I then hunted, he did no hurt : the moment a fox 

 was found, he came to the horse's heels. This con- 

 tinued some time, till, catching view of a fox that 

 was sinking, he ran in with the rest, and was well 

 blooded. He, from that time to the day of his 

 death, was not only as steady a hound to fox as 

 ever I knew, but became also our very best finder. 

 I bred some buck -hounds from him, and they 

 are remarkable for never changing from a hunted 

 deer. 



Your huntsman's weekly return is a very curious 

 one : he is particularly happy in the spelling. The 

 following letter, which is in the same style, may 

 make you laugh, and is, perhaps, no unsuitable return 

 for yours. 



