184 FIELD-NOTES FOR THE YEAR. CH. XIII. 



tongue at a spot where some grass or heather had 

 retained the scent longer than elsewhere, and they 

 are all soon again in full cry. I still keep with the 

 hounds to help and encourage them, when presently 

 I hear a shot, and rightly guess that my friend, 

 whom I had left shivering long ago in a pass, had 

 killed the roe. He turned out to be a fine buck ; 

 so after paunching him, and rewarding the dogs 

 with blood and liver, etc. etc., which they wait 

 patiently for, not attempting to tear the animal 

 itself, we get it conveyed to the place where I 

 had left my car. 



Passing through a wood on our way, the old 

 hound, who was not coupled, suddenly threw up 

 his nose, and before I could prevent him was off in 

 full cry into the cover. I managed to stop the 

 rest of the dogs, not wishing them to have any more 

 running, as they were all tired out, and went alone 

 to get back Durwood. From his tone I soon knew 

 that it was a fox he was after, as when hunting this 

 animal his cry was always different from what it 

 was when on the scent of a roe. I found it of no 

 use going through the cover; so I waited in the 

 wide road towards which he seemed coming. Pre- 

 sently, quick as lightning, and without the slightest 

 noise, a very large dog-fox sprang into the road. 

 He snuffed the air right and left with an eager look, 



