COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 153 



got to the corner of the ice they looked for a moment 

 and plunged into the river. It was only about two 

 miles across to Forfarshire. The Tay was coming 

 down like a torrent and huge blocks of ice crashing 

 against each other. All the hounds were in the 

 water except "Rummager". Just then I noticed 

 the spoor of the fox in the mud where he had turned 

 up the ditch. I whistled and " Rummager " threw 

 his tongue. The body of the hounds immediately 

 swam back, hunted up the ditch, got a view, ran up 

 the road and into the town of Newburgh, and killed 

 him in the street. Only Fred Whitehall and I 

 present. A capital hunt. 



The requisites for snow hunting are a thorough 

 knowledge of the country gates, gaps and ditches ; 

 a quiet horse that will jump standing, his feet stopped 

 with gutta-percha and rough-shod ; leave his head 

 loose when riding over ice and do not go too slow ; 

 not too large a pack ; no hounds that are inclined 

 to hang on the line. Scent varies as much in snow 

 as when the ground is clear. I have been out with 

 eleven degrees of frost, and a clipping scent ; some 

 days four or five inches of slush and water, still a 

 fair scent. The worst is when the snow is melted 

 and the ground carries, but the bone is not out of it. 

 Foxes are very difficult to find in snow, as they see 

 so far and are off without waiting to be found, 

 and they lie in all sorts of places. When there is 

 much snow on the branches it falls and spoils scent 

 in cover, and on bad scenting days hounds are often 

 a long time before they will settle to it, repeatedly 



