EARTH STOPPING, ARTIFICIAI, EARTHS, &c. 



In earths, rabbit holes, and rocky cairns, the 

 business of ejectment is not always so easy of 

 accomplishment, and it may mean a lot of hard 

 work before the fox is properly located. Again, 

 if the fox is cornered by the terrier, he may have 

 to fight for his life, the odds being decidedly in 

 favour of his canine antagonist. 



In enclosed hunting countries, many of the 

 drains are grated, and the earths are stopped 

 when hounds are in the vicinity. On the Lake- 

 land fells, and in other mountainous districts, 

 earth-stopping is impossible, and all drains are 

 usually open. When therefore, a fox is tracked 

 to ground in the snow, or run to earth by the hill- 

 hounds, the subsequent digging operations may 

 last for a period of many hours. It was the 

 immortal Jorrocks who " Alius dug," and we who 

 follow the fell foxhound packs on foot, do the 

 same. 



In the olden times, a fox which went to ground 

 often received short shrift. An instrument known 

 as "fox tongs" was used for drawing foxes. 

 These tongs varied in pattern, some of V; them 

 being in the form of a double cork-screw. The 

 idea of these tongs no doubt originated in the 

 split or notched hazel wand, so often used to 

 twist into the fur of a rabbit. These instruments 

 were used indiscriminately whether the fox was 

 alive or dead. Once the tongs got a fair grip, out 

 Reynard had to come, willy nilly. To-day 

 when the terriers of the fell packs worry their 

 fox underground, and the carcass cannot be 

 reached by hand, owing to the danger of crawling 

 too far beneath the overhanging rocks, a smaU 

 gaff -hook, known locally as a " click hook" is 

 attached to a walking stick or a long fell pole, and 

 the body is by this means pulled up to the surface. 



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