SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 383 



^' Yes, squire, and there "will be more goinj^ ten- 

 derly to-morrow morning ; but that can^t be helped 

 after such work as they have gone through this day. 

 And now to resume our discourse about scent ; you 

 seemed dubious about it^s being in the /^air?^^ 



'' Not always, Will." 



" Generally — that^s my rule, if there^s any rule. 

 My meaning is, that scent always does depend more 

 upon the /^atmosphere, than upon the state of the 

 ground. Now you noticed, I dare say, this arternoon, 

 that the hounds were running hard up one side of 

 the hedge, over Buttermere farm, when the fox had 

 gone up the other side ; yet, now I suppose you will 

 admit, that Avas not a ground scent, inasmuch as the 

 fox never touched the 'arth where the hounds were 

 running what is called breast high, that is, when the 

 scent is Avafted over their heads. I don^t mean to 

 deny, squire, altogether, that the ground has nothing 

 whatever to do with it, no matter what sort of soil 

 you are running over, provided there is something 

 to catch and hold the ^fluvia oozing out of the 

 animaFs body and his breath ; and there was a proof 

 of it, when we got upon Starveall Common, the 

 poorest bit of ground in the countr}^, but covered 

 with coarse grass and patches of heather — didn^t 

 they fly over it ! faster than across the rich grazing 

 lands of farmer Grainger." 



'' Well, Will, I admit this, but the air has little to 

 do with it on a bad scenting daj^, when hounds are 

 obliged to pick out the line foot by foot.*' 



" Veiy true, squire, that^s what we call a pad 

 scent; left upon the ^arth chiefly by the fox^s foot ; 



