86 FOX-HUNTING IN NEW ENGLAND 



have jumped from the fence between here and 

 the place where I found it," and acting on this 

 logical conclusion, he circles widely till he has 

 picked up the trail once more, and goes merrily 

 on to the sheep pasture. Here, satisfying himself 

 of the character of this trick, he adopts the same 

 plan employed at the ploughed field, and after 

 a little finds the trail on the other side and follows 

 it to the hill, but more slowly now, for the fox has 

 been gone some time; the frost has melted, the 

 moisture is exhaling and the scent growing cold. 



The fox has long since reached the hill and half 

 encircled it, and now hearing the voices of the 

 hounds so far away and so slowly nearing, has be- 

 stowed himself on the mossy cushion of a knoll for 

 rest and cogitation. Here he lies for a half-hour 

 or more, but always alert and listening while the 

 dogs draw slowly on, now almost losing the trail 

 on a dry ledge, now catching it in a moist, propi- 

 tious hollow, till at last a nearer burst warns poor 

 sly-boots that he must again up and away. He 

 may circle about or " play," as we term it, on this 

 hill, till you have reached a runway on it where 

 you may get a shot; or, when you have toiled 

 painfully up the steep western pitch and have just 

 reached the top, blown, leg-weary, but expectant, 

 he will, probably, utterly disappoint and exasper- 

 ate you by leaving this hill and returning to the 

 one he and you have so lately quitted, yea, he will 



