174 THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 



him preferable footing. By taking to these, he occa- 

 sionally makes closer work for the gallant pack, which 

 turn at midiminished speed, winding with his every 

 shift, true as the needle to the Pole. Who, in the 

 ardour of the chase, can stop to examine the nature of 

 grain ? " How the devil," said the cockney, " could I 

 tell turnips, unless they had boiled mutton in the middle 

 of them?" '* Ware wheat" is all well enough at any 

 other time, and no one, truly interested in the sport, 

 will wantonly commit an injury ; but now the farmers 

 themselves are the first to charge pell mell " over wheat 

 or what not." " Forward ! " is the cry — forward is the 

 ruhng impulse. The noses of the hounds seem supe- 

 rior to all difficulties ; they do not dash and fling with 

 the impetuosity evinced on breaking covert ; but what 

 a head they carry — how they press ! they are evidently 

 gaining rapidly on the sinking fox ; he has not improved 

 his advantage. He has been more than once viewed by 

 sportsmen during the run ; but one cheer, one half-sup- 

 pressed "Tally-ho! forward, yonder he goes," has been 

 the only token of recognition. There has been no 

 attempt to cut him off, to lift the pack from scent to 

 view, nor to lessen the distance between them, or hi 

 any way interfere with the sport. The huntsman will 

 take every fair advantage of his fox ; but his business is 

 not only to kill, but to hunt and kill him fairly. The 

 idea of kilhng anything fairly or luif airly, may excite a 



