LETTER VII. 73 



his behaviour with the hounds, but I coukl see he was 

 ratlier too much prepossessed with his own anticipated 

 grand performances to pay much attention to it, and he 

 left my room for his first essay, with grand ideas of what 

 he should do. Evening came, and Jem to make his re- 

 port, but no fox's head. Scent was bad, and the hounds 

 would not attend to him. " Never mind," I said, " this 

 is only what I expected ; better luck is coming." 



The next fixture was in our best grass country, with a 

 good flying fox or two in it. Having cautioned him 

 again not to be in a hurry with the hounds when they 

 came to check, Jem set out on his second trial. When 

 he returned it was very late, and, as I expected, he had 

 had a good day. Upon his appearance in my room, I 

 asked, " What sport ?" " Oh, sir," he said, " we have 

 had a capital run." "Well," I said, *^and you have 

 brought his head home this time, I hope." " No, sir, I 

 am sorry to say I have not. We had a capital burst over 

 the grass up to the hills, and were running into him, as 

 everybody thought, in the open, when, after leaving the 

 last hedge on the edge of the downs, the hounds suddenly 

 threw up, and we could never hit upon him afterwards. 

 I made a wide cast, but could not recover the scent, and 

 I cannot think what became of him." " Well," I said, 

 ** I think I can. Whilst you were making your wide 

 cast into the next parish, the fox being perhaps blown, 

 had laid himself down in the ditch and gave you the slip. 

 Master Jem ; that's all about it." ** Well, sir," he said, 

 *' I think you are right after all. We were rather hasty, 

 I must confess, and some of the hard riding gentlemen 

 would have it that the fox was forward ; but I won't 

 listen to them another time." 



