HARRIERS. 195 



do the business of either the huntsman or hounds. The 

 first hare was found on land apparently recently inclosed 

 near Eton ; but, after two hours' perseverance, it was 

 impossible to make anything of the scent over ploughed 

 land. 



We then crossed the railway into some fields, partly 

 in grass, divided by broad ditches full of water, with 

 plenty of willow stumps on the banks, and partly arable 

 on higher, sloping ground, divided by fair growing 

 fences into large square inclosures. Here we soon 

 found a stout hare that gave us an opportunity of see- 

 ing and admiring the qualities of the pack. After the 

 first short burst there was a quarter of an hour of slow 

 hunting, when the hounds, left entirely to themselves, 

 did their work beautifully. At length, as the sun went 

 behind clouds, the scent improved ; the hounds got on 

 good terms with puss, and rattled away at a pace, and 

 over a line of big fields and undeniable fences, that soon 

 found out the slows and the nags that dared not face 

 shining water. Short checks of a few minutes gave puss 

 a short respite ; then followed a full cry, and soon a view. 

 Over a score of big fields the pack raced within a dozen 

 yards of pussy's scent, without gaining a yard, the 

 black- tanned leading hound almost coursing his game ; 

 but this was too fast to last, and, just as we were 

 squaring our shoulders and settling down to take a very 

 uncompromising hedge with evident signs of a broad 

 ditch of running water on the other side, the hounds 

 threw up their heads ; poor puss had shuffled through 

 the fence into the brook, and sunk like a stone. 



There is something painful about the helpless finish 

 with a hare. A fox dies snarling and fighting. 



