FOXES FOXHOUNDS & FOX-HUNTING 



means a long walk for somebody before the im- 

 plements can be requisitioned. Most of us 

 who follow the fell packs have at some time or 

 other volunteered to go for tools, but once you 

 have " had some" you don't exactly relish the 

 idea of repeating the performance. It is an easy 

 enough business jogging down a couple of thousand 

 feet to the nearest farmhouse, armed with nothing 

 but a walking stick, but quite another matter 

 climbing back again with a heavy bar, cowrake, 

 and hammer over your shoulder. Usually some- 

 one who has remained at the earth will come to 

 meet you and relieve you of part of your load, 

 though you cannot always reckon on such good 

 nature. It may happen that whilst you are 

 away for tools the fox will elect to bolt and you 

 have had your journey for nothing. On one 

 occasion we went to the nearest farmhouse, 

 luckily not far off, and on our return we were in- 

 formed that the fox had taken its departure. 

 How it happened was as follows : The pack had 

 divided, one half running a fox to ground, and 

 while the huntsman and some of the field were 

 waiting for tools, the other half of the pack ran 

 their fox close past the earth, and the hounds 

 round the borran joined in the chase. In the 

 excitement the holed fox was temporarily for- 

 gotten, until someone happened to see it making 

 off. The hounds had all gone so the fox had a 

 clear field of escape. 



If a fox refuses to bolt he generally pays the 

 penalty underground. It may then require 

 much strenuous work ere the carcase is brought 

 to light. If it can be seen but not reached in the 

 ordinary way, a " clickhook " on the end of a 

 stick will generally enable it to be dragged out. 

 Should the carcase be far in, the workers may 

 have to tunnel for a considerable distance. In 



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