THE HUNTING FIELD 29 



that moment a fox will surely cross. To-day this 

 responsibility is not thrust upon you, and you are 

 at liberty to follow the pack into covert. 



The old hounds soon disappear in the under- 

 growth, and only a few young ones are left with 

 the huntsman. Now keep your eyes and your ears 

 open, remembering that your sight and hearing, 

 having the advantage of youth, ought to be as good 

 as a huntsman's who may perhaps be the wrong 

 side of forty. 



Hark ! old Solomon has already hit the drag 

 of the dog-fox which he left when he went to his 

 kennel a few hours ago. Now others have joined 

 the cry, and with many deviations they gradually 

 work up to the bunch of dry grass which father 

 fox had chosen as a resting-place after his night's 

 wandering. 



The varmint is afoot, and the uncertain, inter- 

 mittent cry has suddenly swelled to a full, deep- 

 throated chorus. Your heart beats with excite- 

 ment, and a sudden desire is awakened to follow 

 those entrancing sounds. You scuttle down one 

 ride and up another, reaching a hand-gate on 

 the outside of the covert as the leading hound 

 emerges into the open. For one moment you for- 

 get that this is cub-hunting, but the stern realities 

 of the situation are brought to your mind when 

 the whip gallops up and turns hounds back into 

 covert. The huntsman then blows his horn and 

 proceeds to rouse the litter which is known to 

 be here. 



