80 UNASKED ADVICE. 



been heard of as for a master to purchase cubs originally 

 stolen out of bis own country. They are turned down, 

 but bow often tbey are never beard of again, or only 

 found once in cub bunting. Wbere every fair play is 

 allowed to tbem, the latter misfortune is a very common 

 one. Tbey live in clover tbrougb tbe summer in a snug 

 gorse, and are well fed witb no trouble of tbeir own. 

 Consequently tbey stay tbere as long as tbe residence is 

 made pleasant to tbem. But wben tbey bave been once 

 disturbed and borrified by tbe deatb of a relative — 

 especially if tbe unpardonable error of breaking bim up 

 in or close to tbe covert bas been committed — it begins 

 to occur to tbem tbat tbe locality is an objectionable one, 

 and tbat tbere are many reasons against remaining tbere, 

 wbile bardly any exist in favour of a continued residence 

 in a spot wbicb bas been proved to be dangerous. It is 

 not tbeir bome, tbey were not bred tbere, and wbat 

 pleasant associations are connected witb it bave been 

 done away witb. Tbey know tbe covert as a place wbere 

 bounds come, and it bas no attraction to counterbalance 

 tbis ugly fact. Consequently tbey move, and lie out, 

 exposed to tbe several dangers of guns, sbeep dogs, 

 rabbit traps, and greybounds. So, wbetber tbey survive 

 or not, it is probable tbat tbey are not found — at any rate, 

 wben tbey are wanted — by tbe bounds. If tbe best 

 bappens tbat can be expected, and tbey are at tbeir posts 

 wben required, wbat can turned-down foxes be reasonably 

 expected to do ? Tbey bave never bad any occasion to 

 roam far from bome, so tbey know no country, and 

 probably run rings over wbat limited area of ground tbey 

 are acquainted witb, sbowing almost less sport tban a 

 good bagman, wbo would probably go on down wind as 

 long as be could pretty straight, until bis fate was 



