FOXES 91 



varied one, and moles, frogs, rats, water-hens, 

 young rooks, and many other items all enter 

 into it. 



Mr. Elsey's statement of the advantage it is to 

 see a fox before it sees you, to determine whether 

 it is the run one or not, is very true. When a 

 tired fox puts on a momentary spurt he goes very 

 like a fresh one, but he cannot keep it up, and 

 he soon resumes his former shambling gait, so 

 characteristic of the beaten animal. There are 

 few hunting-men, however, who are sufficiently 

 close observers to be absolutely trustworthy 

 about a fox being the run one, as many a 

 huntsman knows to his cost ! When he can put 

 confidence in the person giving the information 

 it is an immense help to him, as the following 

 anecdote may serve to show ; it also illustrates 

 the rapidity with which a first-rate huntsman 

 can grasp the situation, and make up his mind 

 what course to pursue : — 



We had been running a fox for about thirty- 

 five minutes with Lord Middleton's hounds, 

 when they dashed across the bridge at Kirkham 

 Abbey and up the hill past the venerable ruins, 

 the scent having been first-rate all the way. 

 Fortunately the fox made a little detour in the 

 direction of How^sham wood, which enabled my 

 somewhat tired horse to keep inside the circle, 

 and arrive at the top of the hill at the same time 

 as the leading hounds ; as we did so there was a 

 holloa only some two fields ahead, and toward it 

 the hounds flew on the scent, with redoubled 

 energy. Grant, the huntsman, was a few lengths 

 behind, while being still on rising ground he 

 could not see so far around as I could, when 

 suddenly the merest glimpse of a dead-beaten fox 



