MR. WYNDHAM'S SYSTEM 163 



Before I was used to Mr. Codrington's way of talking to himself, 

 we ran a fox in the Great Ridge, and then suddenly went away 

 over the down with a scent. The hounds ran hard for fifteen 

 minutes, and then inexplicably threw up. They did not know 

 me, and there was no one " to put 'em along," if I had known 

 what to do ; but so sudden was the check, with nothing that I 

 could see to cause it, that, had they been my own hounds, I 

 should scarcely have known what remedy to apply. I sat looking 

 on, with some suspicion of riot, when, a long way off down the 

 wind, I heard the most painful groans, mingled with depreca- 

 tions, and my first idea was, that it came from a delirious and 

 suffering fellow-creature, dragged, perhaps, in his stirrup. I 

 could not see the person who seemed in such mortal agony for 

 the undulations of the downs ; but presently I heard the hollow 

 sound of a horse's feet, and over the rise came Mr. Codrington, 

 all right, but moaning dreadfully. I set off to meet him, 

 anxiously inquiring, " What was the matter ? " " Matter ! oh 

 Lord ! " he said. " Come up, horse," and then, rolling in his 

 saddle, he cried, " Matter ! oh Lord ! it's nothing but a hare." 

 He called the hounds ; I put 'em to him, and we returned to the 

 woodland fox. I afterwards met Mr. Codrington at Wilverley, 

 when he hunted the New Forest ; and, observing that he was on 

 a queer-looking animal for such a weight, I asked, " What that 

 was he was on?" "Oh Lord!" he cried, "all I know is, it's 

 not a hunter." 



The oddest system I ever saw with hounds was Mr. William 

 Wyndham's, and he occasionally broached opinions that I could 

 not reconcile with anything I had learned by former experience. 

 His plan seemed to me to be, to do nothing, and I have been 

 told that he has said, that when a hound distinguished him- 

 self in the pack by making a wonderful hit, he always drafted 

 him, it being wrong, in his opinion, that one hound should be 

 able to distinguish himself from the others. I have not heard 

 Mr. Wyndham say this ; and if the rumour that he has said so 

 be not founded? on fact, I beg his pardon for repeating it. Still, 

 I saw enough of his system to feel quite sure that his foxes had 



