336 IRfngs ot tbe Ibunttng^jfielC) 



leigh, the snow at the time lying deep on the ground, a 

 native — Bartholomew, a/tas Bat, Anstey — came to me 

 and said : — 



' " Hatherley church bell is a-ringing, sir." 



' " Ringing for what ? " I inquired, with a strong mis- 

 giving as to the cause of it. 



' " Well, sir, they've a-traced a fox in somewhere ; and 

 they've a sot the bell a-going to collect the people to 

 shoot 'un." 



' " Come, Bat, speak out like a man," I replied, " and 

 tell me where 'tis ? " 



' " In Middlecot earths, sir ; just over the Okement." 



' I was soon on the spot with about ten couple of my 

 little hounds, and found standing around the earths 

 about a hundred fellows — the scum of the country — 

 headed, I am almost ashamed to say, by two gentlemen. 

 I remonstrated with these gentlemen, and told them 

 plainly that if they would leave the earths and preserve 

 foxes for me, I would show them more sport with my 

 little pack in one day than they would see in a whole 

 year by destroying the gallant animal in so un-English 

 a fashion. 



' Impressed apparently by what I had said, both 

 gentlemen instantly bade me a good morning, turned on 

 their heels and left the place ; while a few shillings dis- 

 tributed among the crowd, by way of compensation for 

 the disappointment I had caused, induced them to 

 disperse. 



' After waiting half-an-hour or so near the spot I 

 turned my head towards home, but before I arrived 

 there I met a man open-mouthed, bawling out, " They've 

 a-traced a fox into Brimblecombe ; for I hear Dowland 

 bell a-going." 



