232 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



the fox under the right ear, still holding him down ; he 

 then slips his left hand carefully under his jaws, and 

 with his thumb over his nose his victim is secure. 



In rocky countries another plan is adopted. A trap 

 is composed of loose stones, with a stone tile to fall be- 

 hind the fox ; in fact, a wooden mousetrap will give a 

 very good idea of it, except that there is no room for a 

 fox to turn. Foxes, especially old ones, are very shy of 

 venturing into this trap, and I have known them remain 

 in the earth five or six days, and even longer, until quite 

 starved out. In the country I hunted, these stone traps 

 were constantly used by fox stealers, and many a mid- 

 night excursion have they given me and my men to 

 knock them to pieces. Upon one occasion a lot of 

 quarrymen, who, during a fall of snow, had some idle 

 days, tracked a fox into a rocky earth, and set up a stone 

 trap. Hearing of it, I sent the whipper-in to throw it 

 down, which he did in their absence. Upon returning to 

 the place the next day, the trap was again set up, and 

 some men watching, who threatened to thrash Jim, 

 which he told them one at a time they could not do, and 

 that they knew. Have the fox they said they would, 

 and they would thrash any man I sent, and myself into 

 the bargain, if I interfered again. 



This polite message being conveyed to me by Ji-m, had 

 the effect of raising my hackles a little, and Jim was 

 quite ready for a bit of fighting. We therefore selected 

 half a dozen men, and, with short sticks in their hands, 

 set out about ten o'clock at night to the scene of conten- 

 tion. We had about five miles to walk ; the night was 

 quite dark, and the quarrymen had taken up their position 

 in an old cavern, in which they had lighted a fire, upon 



