142 FOXES AT HOME. 



fox is less likely to be chopped when he can see 

 clearly around him and has room to dodge his 

 enemies, whilst hounds find it much easier to 

 force him away ; in fact, instances are on 

 record when the crack of the huntsman's whip, 

 or a note on his horn, has got an " old customer" 

 on his legs and off, with a brilliant run the 

 result. Whereas in a dense covert, through 

 which he must force his way, the same fox 

 might easily, on a blustery day, or when sleeping 

 soundly after a late or heavy meal, have 

 ignominiously fallen a victim to the pack before 

 even having time to jump from his kennel. 



It is a great mistake to cut a ride in a natural 

 gorse. I have known a magnificent covert, 

 which had never hitherto been drawn blank, 

 completely spoiled for many years by doing so, 

 and though the rides were eventually allowed to 

 grow up, it never seemed the same again This 

 gorse, about fifteen acres or so in extent, was 

 quite ten or twelve feet high in places, so much 

 so that Avhen the rides were cut the huntsman 

 could almost ride in under the impenetrable roof 

 through the naked stems, some five or six 

 inches in diameter. But the ruthless axe had let 

 in the daylight, and one could see underneath 



