A Day With the Genesee Valley Hounds 113 



Four miles from the find and hounds are really at fault. 

 Their own cast being ineffectual, the ^Master moves them care- 

 fully forward in a circular swing, and on arriving well back 

 of where their music ceased, sure enough, Reynard had played 

 his first trump card. lie had stopped suddenly on the line he 

 was pursuing, jumped wide to the right or left, and was prob- 

 ably running back on a parallel line to the way he came. The 

 hounds w^ere running at such a great speed, they overshot the 

 line, as the artful Reynard knew they would do. It is an 

 old and favourite trick, but thanks to our Master's woodcraft, 

 the run is by no means over. In casting well back, the hounds 

 hit off the line, and once more the "heavenly music" fills all the 

 valley and echoes from hill to hill. By this time it is common 

 gossip among the crows and blue jays for miles about that a 

 cliicken-tliief fox is again on foot with the white, black and tan 

 chorus hard after. What a race! That five foot stake and 

 rider fence stopped half of the field, sent some to the grass, 

 until a heav}^ weight lumbering hunter smashes the three top 

 rails and lets the field get through. What a jolly party joins 

 in the chase as we enter the field, fifty racing bullocks and half 

 as many brood mares and their foals join in the gallop! 



What a sight! Even the heavy milch cows and the plod- 

 ding old farm mares forgetful of their infirmities, have joined 

 the glad throng that goes galloi^ing on with, 



"Three cheers for the science, three cheers for the chase. 

 The hounds that 7ie'er falter nor tire. 

 Three cheers for the cattle that join in the race. 

 The old mare and her foal filled with fire." 



Once more a check, now then, ]Mr. Reynard, what is your 

 plot to fool the hounds this time? It is plain enough. As we 

 come into an open field he has run amongst a flock of sheep, 

 knowing full well his own scent will be lost by their stain. 

 Wliich way now? The answer is plain. Towards yonder hill, 



