LETTER XV. 157 



Although the hare is much swifter of foot than the 

 fox, yet the latter, having greater powers of endurance, 

 can travel a much greater distance in less time than a 

 hare could. In speed the foxhound and his game are 

 pretty much on a par, but it is the superior power and 

 condition of the former which enable him to overhaul 

 Mr. Reynold in the long run. I have witnessed many a 

 race with my own hounds in the open, after a fox, but 

 I never, in any one instance, saw them beaten. 



I remember, some years ago, we had. been running a 

 fox, with a middling scent (never being able to press 

 him), for about thirty minutes, when we came to a check 

 in a road near a large field of turnips, just on the verge 

 of the downs. Whilst trying to hit the scent off, up 

 jumped the fox in the turnips, about 200 yards off. 

 In a moment there was such a hullabaloo and tally-hoing 

 from the field, that the hounds caught sight of their 

 game as he was leaving the turnip field, and away they 

 went, helter-skelter, horses and hounds all together, 

 straight over the open. They gained upon their fox 

 every stroke they took ; but, on rising the hill, a gentle- 

 man of the neighbouring hunt, into whose country we 

 were running, cried out, exultingly, " See how he is 

 beating them up the hill ; you won't see much more of 

 him on the other side." " Wait a bit, my friend," I ex- 

 claimed, " you are deceived about the fox beating the 

 hounds. The fact is, whilst we were running down hill, 

 the distance between hounds and fox, being foreshort- 

 ened, appeared less than it actually was, and now, going 

 up hill, it appears greater ; but we shall have him in a 

 few minutes, and that we may see from the top of the 

 hill, for we shall not be inth theniy that is quite clear." 



