YARDLEY CHASE. 133 



others, -when holding the line to the park pales, Duncan 

 flung his tongue, and sprang over them, backed by the 

 rest ; and they were at their fox again. Plow beau- 

 tiful it is to the observant mind of a sportsman to 

 see sas^acious hounds that had o-one with the easfer 

 pack some distance over the line of scent, when they 

 checked, canter back to the very spot where they 

 themselves of their own knowledge knew that the scent 

 served, and bring their brethren back and set them 

 right! How often have I seen old Harrogate do 

 this, who was, I think, the most graceful hound, in 

 his lashing style of hunting, I ever saw ; but of that 

 hound more anon. In the spring, when we were 

 drawing Yardley Chase, and often dependent on a 

 halloo for a good start with a fox, the bird-keeping 

 boys on the edge of the woods — it being on one side 

 cliiefly arable land — used to annoy us much. Their 

 cry very often, in the wind, resembled a view at a 

 fox ; and when a noise of this description was heard 

 by the hounds, I have seen those '' dear companions 

 of my leisure hours " start from the thick cover into 

 the ride, and stand stock still to listen, the head inclin- 

 ing first to this side, then to that, as the noise was 

 repeated. On some occasions I could not decide 

 whether the holloa proceeded from a bird-minder or 

 a fox-hunter, and I left it all to the hounds, and if 

 they set zealously off to the extent of a couple or so, 

 I could safely cheer them all to the holloa. Again, 

 it was such a cheerinf]^ sisfht to have a distant and 

 decisive view from one of those I had sent on ; and 

 then to see the hounds appear in different spots 

 along the far vista of ride which they got into, the 

 better to race to the scene of their exertions, and 



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