152 ECHOES OF SPORT 



near the Kennels. On hunting mornings one 

 or two were taken out in sacks, and let loose 

 about an hour in advance, when they were 

 kept moving by two fat basset hounds until 

 the pack came up. 



The country people were given as much as 

 twenty francs for every healthy fox they 

 brought to the Kennels. 



The forests are all for commercial purposes, 

 being the maritime pines, valuable for their 

 turpentine. On most of the trees hang small 

 tin cups into which the pine slowly oozes its 

 life-blood, but never long enough to kill it. 

 The ground is very good and clean, the only 

 undergrowth being broom and gorse, which in 

 the spring makes a fine golden blaze against 

 the brown needle carpet and the dark green 

 overhead. Also there are hundreds of sand 

 roads and tracks, which are beautiful soft 

 going. There is no jumping except occa- 

 sional fosses. 



The only open country is the Landes, a sort 

 of moorland covered with scrub and gorse 

 bushes, and very wet and boggy in places. 



