Ube IRcw 5obn IRusseU 337 



'So off I went to Dowland in post-haste, found 

 out where the fox was lying, turned him out of a furze 

 bush, ran him an hour and forty minutes, and took him 

 up alive before the hounds on the very earth I had so 

 lately quitted ; where, unfortunately for him, a couple 

 of scoundrels had remained on the watch, and had 

 consequently headed him short back from that strong- 

 hold.' 



On another occasion after finding a fox, he says : ' I 

 ran him an hour, and lost him near where he was found. 

 Then, just as I was calling the hounds away to go 

 home, down came a crowd of men, women, and 

 children, the first chiefly from the village inn, to see 

 this fox murdered. Many of them had brought their 

 loaded guns, were full of beer, and " eager for the fray." 

 And when they found that I had disturbed their fox, 

 as they were pleased to designate him, their language 

 was anything but choice. 



'A strapping young fellow, one of the principal 

 farmers in the parish, came up to me and said, 

 "Who are you, sir, to come here and spoil our 

 sport ? " 



' " You would have spoiled mine," I replied, " if you 

 could." 



' " You have no business here," he said defiantly. 



' " As much as you have," I replied ; " for the owner 

 has given me leave to hunt over this estate, and I 

 mean doing so whenever I please. So get a horse, 

 come out with me, and I'll show you some fine sport, 

 if you'll give up shooting foxes." 



' " We'll shoot them whenever we can," he said 

 angrily. ■ 



' At that moment one of the hounds began to howl. 



Y 



