FOX HUNTING. 93 



of a mile below they turned to the right into the 

 field toward Castle Rock. But the fox and hounds 

 kept down the east side of the Crum, and when we 

 came to the old tumbled-down sawmill we saw the 

 hounds crossing the creek below the James farm. 

 We crossed where we were and scuttled up the 

 hill, just in time to meet the hounds, at fault for 

 the first time, and meeting an old gentleman on 

 horseback who said he saw the fox cross a certain 

 field, we capped them on. They owned the scent 

 and went away back toward Castle Rock, but on 

 going down John Davis' hill, back of the barn, they 

 went out into the Edgmont road at the old school- 

 house. Here the fox had kept the road for about 

 a quarter of a mile, but meeting our friend in scar- 

 let, who had lost his horse, he turned to the left on 

 the Robert Davis farm to the woods belonging to 

 Levis & Hill. There he seemed to have been 

 turned by some woodcutters, and the hounds were 

 at fault again, only for a few moments, long enough 

 for every one to get in again; they were off again 

 at a scrambling rate across the Ridley into an 

 abominable thicket. Here the old man says he 

 lost his specs, and, seeing where they fell, con- 

 cluded to risk getting ofif for them, as he was a 

 little short of money, and could not see well with- 

 out them. But he came very near losing the hunt, 

 which would have been a great deal worse loss. 



