36 The Hunting Field With Horse and Hound 



is astounding how seldom southern fox hunters are at fault in 

 placing themselves. Again he puts fire to his corn-cob pipe, 

 and awaits events. When he has had enough of this, and it 

 sometimes takes all night to satisfy him, or he thinks his hounds 

 have had all they ought to do for one night, he toots his cow 

 horn and calls them in. The older ones generally obey, but if 

 they feel like playing truant, and going on with the game, on 

 they go, getting in for breakfast or at any time of night, or 

 the next day which marks the limit of their endurance. 



This may be said to be the general principle on which fox 

 hunting is carried on throughout the Southern States. This 

 would not please our English friends. A ride to hounds in 

 England that does not include a kill is generally looked upon 

 as something of a farce. The writer, who was brought up after 

 the English style of riding to hounds, naturally prefers that 

 way. He wants to say, however, that he has hunted enough 

 in the Southern States to become thoroughly interested in the 

 game, and believes for the nature of the country and the game 

 and the hounds that it is the best adaptation of the sport to be 

 had, and he can readily understand, if he lived in that country, 

 and owned hounds, he would certainly do as the Southerners 

 do. Only he would go in more for looks, and style and char- 

 acter, in hound breeding, which he believes can be maintained 

 and improved consistently with the southern requirements of 

 nose and endurance. 



The better to illustrate a fox hunt as conducted in the 

 South, it may not be amiss to take the reader to visit an old 

 southern plantation, and devote a day to the game as it is 

 played throughout the Southern States. Having introduced 

 the reader to the southern hound, southern foxes, and the 

 general methods of pursuing the chase, it only remains to 

 present the southern sportsman himself. This probably can 

 best be accomplished by taking the reader to visit the home of 

 a southern gentleman of the old school — one who still breeds 



