LETTER XVIII. 191 



Mr. Wiley was, as usual, at home, and ready for us. 

 He was scarcely found, before he was through the hare 

 hole, and the hounds at the wall. Jim, being on the 

 other side, ready for business, myself and the under-whip 

 jumped off our horses, and, handing five or six couples 

 over the wall, rushed with the remainder of the pack 

 through the lodge gates, which I had directed to be kept 

 open for the emergency. Taking a lane opposite, we 

 dashed along until we joined, Jim and his short cry 

 coming towards us in high career. 



The scent being good, we gave Mr. Wiley such a 

 dusting, that he very soon turned his head, and made a 

 short circuit round into the lower part of the park again, 

 and straight through it for the same place, where he 

 dodged us through the hare hole at starting. Knowing 

 now his line of running, I determined upon a bold stroke 

 to bother his tactics a little, and try and beat him off his 

 foil. Taking the hounds up at once, I galloped straight 

 to the lodge gates to give him a meeting the other side. 

 The ruse succeeded — we barely escaped viewing him at 

 the lane, but we were so close, that the hounds set to 

 work, running as if they could see him, and he went 

 straight away for five and twenty minutes as hard as we 

 could pelt for a drain. Jim jumping off examined the 

 place, and shook his head. '* He has done for us now. 

 Sir, I'm afraid." "Stop a bit, Jim, let me have a look 

 at it." The drain was large and deep, and emptied itself 

 into a pond close to us. We had no terrier ; what was 

 to be done ? Jim looked blank — " My five shillings is 

 gone. Sir, I believe, this time." 



The field soon came up, and among the first my young 

 friend the farmer. Beckoning him to me, I made in- 



