100 FOXHUNTING ON LAKELAND FELLS 



espied a fox coming towards us. He was travelling 

 right in the teeth of the gale, which did not 

 appear to trouble him much. He never saw us 

 till we ran in and loosed two couples of hounds 

 at him, when he quickened his pace, and was 

 soon out of sight. 



I have, in a previous chapter, mentioned the 

 fact of a fox lying on a ledge and refusing to 

 move until a well-aimed stone dropped almost 

 on top of him. That reminds me of another 

 occasion when I was blackgame shooting on some 

 rough ground on the fell. I fired at a blackcock 

 which flew over me from above, missing him with 

 the first barrel, but stopping him with the second. 

 As I was reloading, I happened to glance down- 

 hill, and much to my surprise saw a fox curled 

 up, apparently asleep, on top of a big flat rock. 

 I threw a stone at him, which caused him to raise 

 his head, and a second missile made him get off 

 the rock, and take refuge underneath it. I waited 

 a minute or two, but as he did not appear I roUed 

 a big stone down the slope. It happened to land 

 square on top of the fox's shelter, and out he shot, 

 jumping into a thick bracken bed, from the 

 harbour of which he kept stopping to look back 

 at me. It seemed strange that a fox should lie 

 curled up on a rock, and allow me to make a 

 noisy approach, in addition to firing the gun, 

 without his showing the least sign of uneasiness. 



