FOX-HUNTING 47 



constitute what is termed a slow hunting run. To the 

 " first flight man," i.e. the man who is determined 

 to keep near to hounds at any cost; a slow hunting 

 run is almost as great an infliction as a " blank " day, 

 i.e. a day on which no foxes are afoot; but to the 

 novice it will have given more enjoyment than a quick 

 run, and enabled him to gain some practical knowledge 

 of the sport. If he has the good fortune to see hounds 

 run into and kill their fox, as we sincerely hope he 

 may have, let him mark the day as a red-letter day 

 in life's calendar. 



The fox is far from being a coward. Not only does 

 a fox never lose his head while he is being hunted, which 

 a coward would most assuredly do, but he dies as 

 pluckily as he has run. No cry of pain escapes him. 

 He merely gnashes his sharp teeth, and does his best 

 to make them meet in the foremost hound, in which 

 attempt he generally succeeds. He knows that he has no 

 chance against twenty or twenty-five couple of his 

 arch-enemies, but he does his best to punish one — 

 sometimes two — severely, before he is rolled over. 

 We are glad to think, with all humane sportsmen, that 

 his death agony only lasts a few seconds.^ 



In the majority of packs hounds are now whipped 

 off while one of the hunt servants cuts off the 

 brush, mask, and pads of the fox before giving 

 him to the hounds with the familiar "Tally- 

 ho ! Tear 'im and eat 'im, lads ! " But some M.F.H's., 

 amongst them the Duke of Beaufort, object to hounds 

 being whipped off during the cutting-up process. The 

 Duke of Beaufort used to hunt the Badminton pack 

 at his own expense, and needed only to regard 

 the efficiency of his hounds, who will be keener 

 after blood, and will therefore hunt better, if 



