292 A YEAR OF SPORT AND NATURAL HISTORY. 



" cote " has dropped out, because it was a term of confusion, and 

 " jerking " is lost in -the rest. 



And now that we are fairly out upon the flats, the story of just 

 one course may show how the points come in, though we must 

 tell it very shortly because of want of space. 



Down on an Essex farm a farmer is out with his boys, trying, in 

 view of a local meeting, two young dogs, a brindle and a black. 

 The scene is one of those large grass flats cut up by dykes in 

 all directions, crossed by planks and waggon-ways, and widening 

 down to the tidal marshes where the wild ducks come to feed. 



A strong hare is started, and presently the greyhounds are 

 slipped. Somehow the brindle is quicker on his legs, and puts a 

 good clear length between himself and his rival before the other 

 is well under way. But the black is not to be denied, and running 

 gamely, fairly distances the brindle and is soon a length ahead. 

 This gain in a straight run is the " go-bye," and scores two ; and 

 now the dogs are close upon their hare. And the brindle, running 

 on the right, pushes the hare so close that she swerves a bit away, 

 and the brindle scores a "wrench," in value half a point. But 

 that wrench, slight as it is, has favoured the black, who, running 

 finely in, fairly turns the hare at a right angle and almost into the 

 brindle's jaws. This is the " turn," and counts one. 



And so the chase goes on with varying chances till presently 

 the hare, with the Greyhound on the top of her, leaps at a half-dry 

 dyke. Over goes the brindle and lands clear. The black is not 

 so fortunate, just dropping short to emerge dripping wet and 

 stand with her rival looking stupidly around, for where is the hare ? 

 By a device not seldom seen she has jumped short, and doubled 

 in under the culvert of the bridge. And there, if she lies still, the 



