86 FOXHUNTING ON LAKELAND FELLS 



ground, and end by getting to earth somewhere 

 else. 



Some of the Lakeland borrans are very deep 

 places. It sometimes happens that although the 

 terriers reach and possibly account for the fox, 

 they are unable to return, and it may mean days 

 of strenuous work ere the men can extricate them. 

 At long intervals, more serious events occur, and 

 despite aU that can be done by wiUing hands, a 

 rescue is impossible. Certain stone quarries and 

 other places in Lakeland hold sinister reputations 

 in this respect. 



Some of the quarry " rubbish heaps " are com- 

 posed of " big stuff " in the wa^y of rocks, and are 

 dangerous to open up, as the excavating process 

 causes the upper material to unexpectedly rush in. 

 In addition to shutting off the terriers, such a rush 

 may easily bury or severely injure the men who 

 are at work. I have seen one or two very narrow 

 escapes of this kind, and they are decidedly 

 unpleasant experiences. 



It is, of course, usual for a man or two to mount 

 guard at such borrans when hounds are advertised 

 to meet in the neighbourhood, but even the keenest 

 hunter becomes fed-up waiting perhaps for hours 

 on a cold day, with only an occasional and distant 

 sound of hounds to cheer his watch. 



Some foxes are almost impossible to keep out 

 of such places. Despite halloing and whip-crack- 



