THE FOX AS A CAPTIVE 131 



staying in the house put a stuffed fox under the dining- 

 table. Hardly were the company seated when a 

 tremendous uproar arose. The lady of the house 

 was much distressed, being under the impression that 

 the terriers were worrying her favourite Skye, which, 

 however, with characteristic dislike of strangers, had 

 already retired from the room. The host and the 

 visitor dived under the table and soon discovered 

 that the terriers were worrying the stuffed fox with 

 the greatest eagerness. There is, however, a reason 

 why terriers should be more indiscriminate than 

 hounds : the terrier's desire is to tackle, the hunting 

 is secondary with him ; but on the other hand the fox- 

 hound's first impulse is to hunt. 



Now there is in all probability a considerable 

 difference between the scent given off by a wild and 

 a tame fox, and foxhounds hardly recognise the latter 

 as that of the quarry they are accustomed to hunt. 

 Every huntsman knows what a difference there is in 

 the demeanour of hounds when they have a bagman 

 before them : the puppies and the riotous ones come 

 to the front, while the best hounds in the pack can 

 hardly be persuaded to acknowledge the line. Indeed 

 the bagman often escapes to spread mange abroad, 

 because the best hounds are so slack in hunting him. 

 But such refinements are unknown to the terrier, 



K 2 



