FOX-HUNTING 



his scent upon the twigs at every stride, and the 

 hounds race after him, showing no head indeed, 

 and keeping, for convenience, in one long Hne 

 upon the track, but going, head up, sterns down, 

 at a pace which no horse can follow. — I only hope 

 they may not overrun the scent. 



* They have overrun it ; halt, and put their heads 

 down a moment. But with one swift cast in full 

 gallop they have hit it off again, fifty yards away 

 in the heather, long ere we are up to them ; for 

 those hounds can hunt a fox because they are not 

 hunted themselves, and so have learnt to trust 

 themselves; as boys should learn at school, even 

 at the risk of a mistake or two. Now they are 

 showing head indeed, down a half cleared valley, 

 and over a few ineffectual turnips, withering in the 

 peat, a patch of growing civilization in the heart 

 of the wilderness ; and then over the brook — woe's 

 me ! and we must follow — if we can. 



* Down we come to it, over a broad sheet of 

 burnt ground, where a week ago the young firs 

 were blazing, crackHng, spitting turpentine for a 

 mile on end. Now it lies all black and ghastly, 

 with hard charred stumps, like ugly teeth, or cal- 

 trops of old, set to lame charging knights. 



' Over a stiff furze-grown bank, which one has 

 to jump on and off — if one can ; and over the 

 turnip patch, breathless. 



*Now we are at the brook, dyke, lode, drain, 



43 



