THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 143 



the best possible terms with a fox : and it is only fair 

 towards hounds to get them away close at his brush ; but 

 I doubt whether this is the best way to ensure a good 

 run, or that a fox is so likely to face an extent of 

 country, as he is when he has had a few minutes to 

 make up his mind. There are numberless instances of 

 foxes having taken very unusual lines, owing, as may be 

 justly supposed, to having been thus pressed at first ; 

 but, on such occasions, it generally happens that some 

 kind of check occurs in the first five minutes, sfivinsf a 

 fox some ground for venturing to make a bold coup for 

 his life. He will then set his head straight, and make 

 his point good for some known haunt, twelve, thirteen, 

 or more miles distant, as the crow flies. I do not mean 

 to say that I would give him a moment's law beyond a 

 fair start from covert. Your object is to find, and fliirly 

 hunt, or run him down. To kill a good fox, he must be 

 lyrcssed all through the chase ; and his fate is most 

 frequently decided by the pace of the first twenty 

 minutes, most appropriately designated as '' the burst ;'' 

 but it is ten to one that he heads back, if the chances 

 are obviously much against him, and winds up his career 

 in a ring. I have heard great complaints, of late seasons, 

 of short running foxes in Leicestershire. I conceive that 

 this is not because foxes are worse, though enclosures 

 and other causes may be taken into account, but that 

 hounds are better : — they are bred to run faster. What- 

 ever may have been the pace of former days, I feel 

 confident that it was not equal to the speed of the 



