LETTER X. 103 



a performer, and without a brush too. " Never mind," 

 I said, "keep with the hounds, and I think we shall see 

 what he is made of before the day is over." Over the 

 canal we steered away, and soon came to a nasty brook, 

 with deep water and hollow banks. Four or five of us 

 came to this about the same time. There was no leisure 

 to look about for good places, the hounds being over and 

 racing away a couple of fields before us, so at it we went ; 

 and a proper scrambling and splashing there was. My 

 horse's footing gave way just as he was taking the leap, 

 and I had to perform in and out clever, which I fortu- 

 nately accomplished, but only three of us showed on the 

 other side; there was no time to render assistance to 

 = those buffeting with the waters, as the hounds were now 

 out of sight. On, on they went over a splendid vale 

 country, with very stifl" fencing, having it all to them- 

 selves, for catching them was out of the question. After, 

 however, about forty minutes' hard running, we got up 

 with the hounds in a large plantation, with a piece of 

 water in the middle, where our artful friend had just 

 tried another dodge to shake off* his pursuers, by running 

 first all round the lake, and then swimming right across 

 it. This feat seemed to confirm Jem's preconceived ideas 

 of his being something out of the common run of foxes, 

 and my impression is, if left to himself, he would rather 

 have declined any further dealings with Bobtail. " Come 

 Jem," I exclaimed, " none of your old woman's fancies ; 

 have at him again — Bellmaid has hit him off"; forward, 

 my lads, forward, away." The hounds joined like light- 

 ning together, one crash through the plantation, and over 

 the open cbeerily, ho ! steadily, cheeringly, on we go ! 

 Not an inch of the country did we now know ; the field 



