CHASING AND RACING 87 



heavy trout had the pike been removed and the whole 

 cleared of noxious weeds and the deep mud which had 

 silted to such an extent that the surface water was 

 reduced to less than a third of its normal area, forming 

 a morass, heavily overgrown with rushes, which proved 

 most attractive to wild fowl of many varieties. Here, 

 also, was a sure draw for Mr. Reynard. Many a one 

 have my beauties chevied therefrom to the big woods 

 which unfortunately were far too handy. I seldom 

 killed a fox found in the Shardeloes marsh. At the 

 commencement of my second season^ that accursed 

 plague, mange, broke out among the foxes of the near 

 West and far East of the country, and it soon became 

 evident that drastic measures must be taken if the 

 trouble was to be successfully tackled. A great many 

 afflicted cubs were chopped during the educational 

 period, but hounds showed no inclination to break up 

 their victims even had they been allowed to do so, 

 which naturally they were not. Others, marked to 

 ground, were dug out and an end put to their misery ; 

 though by way of experiment I bagged a well-grown 

 dog cub which seemed less afflicted than some, gave 

 him a liberal dressing of paraffin, Stockholm tar, and 

 black sulphur, and turned him back in his earth with 

 the idea that he would thus disinfect it. Perhaps he 

 did so ; but as it was never again used by any of 

 his tribe, though formerly a favourite refuge, my 

 brain wave did not pan out as well as might be 

 expected. 



