140 KEMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN. 



Claphani turnpike, which he always crossed, and 

 gained the Twin Woods. In these woods, or in 

 Clapliani Park Wood, he had ever been lucky enough 

 to find a substitute to take the work off his shoulders, 

 a change to a fresh fox being the only thing that 

 could have saved him. Before George Carter left 

 the kennel, on the morning I speak of, with the 

 hounds, I sent for him to my bedside, and told 

 him, if he found this fox in Moulsoe Wood, to 

 kill him, as it would be a feather in his cap, the 

 fox as yet having defeated us; I also said the 

 same thing to my brother Moreton ; and my bro- 

 ther and George Carter went out, with an assurance 

 from the latter that he would kill the fox, if pos- 

 sible. The hounds had not long been thrown into 

 Moulsoe Wood, when they opened with a crash, whicli, 

 to use Carter's expression, " brought his heart into 

 his mouth, but with the fear that, as there was such 

 a good scent in cover, there perhaps would be a good 

 deal less out." AVhen I had found this fox, on not 

 one of the occasions had we a brilliant scent; so 

 Carter set down the first look of the thing that day 

 as in his favour. Round the cover the old fox went, 

 findin"- that it would not do to break with the hounds 

 with such a scent at his brush ; he accordingly played 

 the pack in the thick quarters of the wood, till the 

 ground was foiled, and he could get an opportunity, 

 during a check, to slip away. The chance came, and 

 off he went, precisely fence by fence, field by field, the 

 usual line. "Oh!" but George thought, when the 

 hounds came to his holloa and horn with a swing, as 

 if they knew they could take up his line in a gallop, 

 " if the scent will but hold." Hold it did ; for to 

 Carter's delight, as the hounds swept out with their 



