FELIy HUNTING 



the drag has ended without finding, whereas had 

 hounds been out three or four hours earlier a good 

 hunt would probably have resulted. Autre 

 temps, autre moeurs, however, and nowadays 

 people seem to go in more for the social part of 

 otter hunting than for the sport itself. 



Talking of early morning meets the fell packs 

 are often out at day-break in May. Perhaps the 

 pack is kennelled over night at some outlying 

 farmhouse, where a fox or foxes have been inter- 

 fering with the lambs. At peep o' day the 

 shepherd takes a walk round the sheep and 

 catches sight of a shadowy figure moving off 

 in the half light. He knows a fox when he sees 

 it, and so at once breaks the stillness of the early 

 morning with a shrill view halloa. Up at the 

 farm the signal is heard and the huntsman 

 promptly throws open the door of the hounds' 

 temporary kennel. Out they surge and fly 

 across the dew-laden grass in the direction of the 

 sound, the meaning of which they know so well. 

 Down go their noses, a hound speaks, then an- 

 other, and with a crash of music they are away 

 with a screaming scent, rattling along in the wake 

 of their fox. If the latter has fed not wisely but 

 too well he will be unable to stand the steady 

 pressure of the pursuit, and after trying all he 

 knows to gain a lead, wiU seek refuge underground. 

 He will gain short respite there, however, for a 

 lamb worrier is a criminal, and he will have to get 



out of that " or die in the midst of a subter- 

 ranean melee. If the subsequent tmearthing 

 operations offer no difficulties, hounds may be 

 back at kennels before most folk are out of their 

 beds, though on some occasions the best part of 

 the day may pass before the carcase of the ' ' thief 

 o' the world " is brought to light. 



201 



