SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 855 



passed through all of you easily, and my first whip 

 is the first man up at the finish." 



" The quickest thing I ever saw in my life, sir/^ 

 said the master of a neighbouring pack. " I con- 

 gratulate you upon such a brilliant aff'air." 



"We do not care much about brilliant things, 

 sir/^ was the reply. " Once in a season, just to see 

 how hounds can run together, is well enough ; but 

 this is foxracing not foxhunting. There is no oppor- 

 tunity for the display of talent in the huntsman or 

 sagacity in the hound. A Newmarket lad could 

 do quite as well here as the most experienced of 

 professors, and a lot of curs, colly dogs, and lurchers 

 run over the ground as fast as well-bred foxhounds.-" 



" I can^t hold him up any longer, master," said 

 Jem to Will Headman; "he ain^t so light a weight 

 as you seem to think, and my arms are tired of the 

 job; besides which we may find another fox, and 

 kill him in like manner, before half the gents as 

 started gets up — if ever they gets up at all, which 

 seems very dubious. I never seed such an example 

 made of hossmen. There is a tail of ^em for two 

 miles at least, and lots of nags all over the downs." 



" Give him to me, then, Jem :" and Headman, 

 taking the fox, held him for a few seconds over his 

 head ; and then, with a scream which none could 

 imitate or exceed, threw the carcass high up into the 

 air, and the bones were broken ere it reached the 

 ground by the expectant pack. 



George Tracy, however, and Sam Coventry do not 

 put in an appearance at the winding up of this per- 

 fect performance in its way. Where are they ? 



A A 2 



