HARE-HUNTING 257 



not be able to recover your original quarry, either 

 that the lapse of time has allowed the scent to 

 disappear or puss stole away when her enemies' 

 backs were turned. It is a very common occur- 

 rence for a hunted hare to squat alongside of 

 another, and, of course, the fresh one is certain to 

 get up first. There is not the slightest doubt this 

 is done intentionally, and, I believe, it is a regular 

 custom — an instinct bred by experience — to defeat 

 the dog species — at least the fresh hare always 

 appears to take up her burden cheerfully, as if 

 it were merely the performance of an ordinary 

 duty. When a hare has run for about a mile 

 and still finds she is pursued, she generally visits 

 every field and form in which some of her friends 

 reside, so that there will soon be two or three 

 afoot where you thought they were very scarce. 

 Your best chance of success, both in killing and 

 having a good run, is to force her out of her 

 country, and then she will probably go quite 

 straight. Hares will run straight sometimes even 

 when they have not lost themselves, but this sort 

 is like the travelling fox — hard to find. 



On strictly preserved estates the hare is a semi- 

 tame animal, afibrding sport neither to the gun 



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