LETTER XVIIT. 199 



him as usual, to bring him out, began gradually pulling 

 him back. Great was Jim's astonishment when he found 

 that the old dog, seeing he could not reach the fox, had 

 seized hold of the other dog's tail, which he held firmly 

 and would not let go ; and in this way all three were 

 hauled out, amidst the laughter and cheers of those 

 standing round. 



Upon another occasion, we had run a fox to the mouth 

 of a large drain, which led from a gentleman's house to 

 the brink of a large brook. We were, of course, obliged 

 to take the hounds away at once. A couple of hounds 

 were missing, and not making their appearance the next 

 morning, I sent the whipper-in down to the drain, to see 

 if he could make them out. He returned with the in- 

 telligence that they could not be there, as he had listened 

 for some time attentively at the drain, and could not 

 hear anything. The servants also informed him it was 

 too small to admit a hound high up. The hounds not 

 returning home, I was not satisfied, and sent the whipper- 

 in again the next morning, with my compliments to the 

 owner of the mansion, and begged his permission to 

 uncover the drain at certain places. This was kindly 

 granted, and it was done so effectually, as my man 

 thought, that no hound could be there. 



At that time I had an engagement from home, and 

 left it in my whipper-in's hands ; but on my return a 

 week had elapsed, and still no tidings of the missing 

 hounds, which were two favourite bitches. I could not 

 get them out of my head day or night, and still my 

 thoughts would run upon that drain. On the ninth day 

 I again sent for the whipper-in, and told him 1 would 

 have the drain opened from bottom to top, as I was now 



