120 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN. 



of the fox, the moment they checked 1 lifted them 

 round the house in vain! Up to the doors they 

 would go, and no further ; and I almost thought that 

 the fox was a witch, or that Mr. Higgins was a magi- 

 cian who took the shape of a fox on purpose to be 

 hunted and to draw me into mischief. On one of 

 these occasions, when, as usual, the hounds were 

 knocking at the door, some one told me that Mr. 

 Higgins was out ; so I sent in my compliments to ask 

 Mrs. Higgins if I might look into the yard, as I 

 thought" the fox was in a drain. While the message 

 was gone in I climbed on a sort of garden wall, and 

 was trying to see as much as I could, when the lady 

 herself appeared and civilly regretted she could not 

 give me leave to search the premises, as Mr. Higgins 

 was so much against hounds, but I might look into 

 any of the drains outside. I had already drawn the 

 hounds over them ; my wish was for the inside of the 

 premises, as I was sure, as on similar occasions I always 

 had been sure, that my hunted fox was left in Turvey 

 Abbey. I sat on the wall and exhausted every topic 

 of conversation, in order to create delay and give 

 others time to peep into all the places they could ; 

 however, as there must be an end to every thing, I 

 I was obliged to bid the lady adieu, dismount the 

 wall, and mount my horse. Harry Boulton was with 

 me, as good a sportsman and good a fellow as need 

 be; so, as we left the place, it being towards the 

 expiration of the time I hunted the country, I told 

 him to recollect my words, and, if my successor ever 

 ran a fox and lost him at Turvey Abbey, if Mr. 

 Higgins, or whoever might succeed Mr. Higgins, 

 would permit it, by all means to search the outhouses, 

 and particularly the ivy on the top of Mr. Higgins's 



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