FOX-HUNTING 39 



are known only by those who hunt from home." Our 

 advice is, " Hunt in the same country as your friends 

 hunt." If any one of our readers be so unhicky as 

 to have no friends who hunt, then we must refer him 

 to railway time-tables, only remarking that unless he 

 be a good rider and have a first-rate horse, he had 

 better choose a provincial pack, and not one in the 

 shires. In the latter, hounds will probably race away 

 from him in the beginning of the day, and he will see 

 no more of the sport, while in an enclosed country 

 containing large woodlands, he will be able to see a 

 great deal of what hounds are doing, without jumping 

 a fence. To a fine rider on a fine horse, a gallop over 

 Leicestershire means the keenest pleasure which this 

 world can give, but the fine rider will use bad 

 language if his horse cannot go another yard, and 

 hounds are disappearing in the dim distance. 



As the fox lives in an earth or underground home, 

 and only comes out at night on his foraging excursions, 

 it is necessary to "stop out" the earth while he is 

 absent on his nocturnal wanderings. So when hounds 

 are going to " draw," or try to find a fox in a particular 

 country, due notice is given to the " earth stoppers " of 

 the district to " stop out " the earths. In every hunting 

 country there are " earth stoppers," who are responsible 

 for " stopping out " the earths in their particular districts 

 (which are called " stops ") upon receiving notice from 

 the M.F.H., or person acting upon his authority. This 

 work should be completed by an hour before sunrise. 

 Then when the fox comes home he finds the door closed 

 and has to make his bed for the day in a covert, gorse, 

 or any other place which will afford him warm shelter. 

 Being a cunning animal, he is doubtless aware of what 

 is in store for him, and makes his plans accordingly, 



