84 THE LIFE OF A FOXHOUND. 



improve after the first ten minutes," said I, 

 ** until within a short time of running him 

 to view, when it seemed to gradually die and 

 become more faint." 



" It not only seemed," replied Trimbush, 

 * ' but it did so, and from obvious reasons. 

 Every animal with a skin — and I don't 

 remember at this moment any without," 

 facetiously continued he, " smells stronger 

 when hot than cold. Fear often produces the 

 same effect, but from the like cause — as any 

 excitement, whether pleasurable or the 

 reverse, produces physical heat. Now, after 

 a fox is found, his scent increases — although, 

 from the state of the weather and ground, we 

 may not be able to hunt him a yard, neverthe- 

 less — so long as exhaustion does not take 

 place ; and then as he sinks, so does the scent 

 decrease. The reasons for this," continued 

 Trimbush, " are as simple as they are 

 indubitable. The perspirable matter escaping 

 through the skin augments for a time from 

 exertion, and the devil of a fright he is in 

 from our rattling behind him : but this begins 

 to die away after excessive evaporation, and 

 often has caused us to lose a fox scarcely able 

 to crawl." 



