ANECDOTES OF FOX-HUNTING 245 



an open country in a thick fog, the fox scarcely out of 

 view, three of the leading hounds disappeared all of a 

 sudden ; and the whipper-in, luckily, was near enough 

 to see it happen. They fell into a dry well, near a 

 hundred feet deep : they and the fox remained there 

 together till the next day, when, with the greatest 

 difficulty, we got them all four out. 



Another time, having run a fox a burst of an hour 

 and a quarter (the severest I ever remember), the 

 hounds at last got up to him by the side of a river, 

 where he had stayed for them. One hound seized 

 him as he was swimming across, and they both went 

 down together : the hound came up again, but the fox 

 appeared no more. By means of a boat and a long 

 pole, we got the fox out. Had he not been seen to 

 sink, he would hardly have been tried for under water; 

 and, without doubt, we should have wondered what 

 had become of him. 



Now we are in the chapter of accidents, I must 

 mention another, that lately happened to me on cross- 

 ing a river, to draw a cover on the other side of it : — 

 The river Stower frequently overflows its banks, and 

 is also very rapid and very dangerous. The flood 

 that morning, though sudden, was extensive : the 

 neighbouring meadows were all laid under water, and 

 only the tops of the hedges appeared. There were 

 posts to direct us to the bridge ; but we had a great 

 length of water to pass before we could get at it : it 

 was, besides, so deep, that our horses almost swam ; 

 and the shortest-legged horses, and longest-legged 

 riders, were worst off. The hounds dashed in as 



