A HARE DRIVE 17 



then, there is a well-known, well-loved mark, 

 the " hall mark " of the forest, that of a 

 dainty cloven hoof, that tells the haunt of the 

 red deer is here also. 



For two miles the three guns, flanked by 

 the beaters, walked in line the two twenty- 

 bores encouraged by one shot, one rabbit each. 

 My Lord, meanwhile, had bagged several 

 white hares, and had it not been for the mist, 

 and the danger of shooting anywhere but 

 straight ahead, would have had a dozen or 

 more. 



The ground was like a switchback, up and 

 down. The depth of the snow in places made 

 the uphill heavy work. The mist closed in on 

 the higher ground till the guns frequently lost 

 each other, and could only locate their where- 

 abouts by calls and whistles. Suddenly at a 

 hundred yards' distance a shadow would loom 

 on one side or the other, like a dark ghost on a 

 grey background, a voice call out " All right," 

 and the march forward would continue. 



At last the " Pass " for the drive was 

 reached. Most of the beaters had been lost 



