186 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



gradually from the river, and the fox, holding to its 

 shelter from view, ran the whole length, and we soon 

 found ourselves on terra Jirma once more, running up 

 the vale through a few grass fields. The hounds were 

 now running hard for their game, and at this moment the 

 field, who had been cofiee-housing on the other side of 

 the covert when we slipped away, came rattling down the 

 hill side at various points, and the racket they made kept 

 the fox for some time from turning back in that direction. 

 We ran thus for a couple of miles, straight up the valley, 

 Jim riding parallel with us along the ridge. Old Slow- 

 man and others cut in at right angles, to take the lead 

 out of our hands, but he could not keep his ground — 

 lOst and a thorough bred were not to be beaten quite so 

 easily, and the fencing we encountered was more in our 

 usual line of business than his, although he rode hard 

 enough, and with vengeance just then, to get — to use a 

 vulgar expression — the fat out of the fire. The crushing, 

 groaning, and straining, through these heavy enclosures, 

 was tremendous ; with an occasional dash of damson-pie, 

 which 1 heard going on behind me. All this was highly 

 amusing as 1 kept steadily on, determined not to be 

 beaten. The household brigade were soon far in the 

 rear. 



When we got up to our fox in a thick hedgerow, the 

 hounds did not see him, as he jumped out behind them, 

 but I did. The scream I uttered brought them to in a 

 minute, and up the hill we went, heads up and sterns 

 down, with another big wood before us. Now, Jim, I 

 thought, we shall barely do it, if you are in the wrong 

 place. T put spurs to my horse for a last effort, when 

 Jim's welcome cry rung in my ears — *' Tally-ho ! here he 



