CHASING AND RACING 79 



consisted in the humorist " going away '* in a grand style 

 over a twenty-acre field. On reaching its limits he 

 would slip along at right angles and return by the side 

 hedge to covert. I have had this trick served on me 

 time after time, although there had been no question 

 of the wily brute having been headed. He was always 

 given a fair field and no favour. I tried placing 

 ** stops '* or outposts close to the covert, on either side of 

 the open space ; but the red rover would simply slip 

 by them with a derisive whisk of his brush and re-enter 

 the tangle. The original comedian must have im- 

 parted this merry jest to his descendants, for all the 

 Bricket foxes seemed to know and enjoy its exploita- 

 tion. I never remember to have had a good run from 

 this woodland labyrinth ; but often — when late in the 

 season I had drawn covert after covert blank — I would 

 catch hold of hounds and trot them off to Bricket, 

 simply for the joy of hearing the crashing chorus of a 

 find and the inspiriting tones of Tom Goddard's 

 ** holler '' ; though I knew perfectly well that this 

 little episode would prove the beginning and end of the 

 day*s sport. 



Hunting the whole of the O.B.H. country five 

 days a fortnight, with frequent by-days, was a tall 

 order and a costly one ; but I was as keen as mustard 

 on the job and perfectly happy, despite the adverse 

 criticism of captious critics such as unfortunately 

 infest every hunt ; for I had many good friends and 

 true, ever ready to support and encourage me. Here, 



