THE rURSUIT OF THE HARE 217 



hare has afforded two or three good runs ; but hares 

 are frequent!}- picked up dead near where they have 

 been lost after a good run — more often than is generally 

 supposed, as the finder, who is frequently a labourer, 

 does not usually think fit to publish abroad his lucky 

 discovery. A strong hare will cover a great deal more 

 country than is usually supposed. If she starts a 

 "straight run fairly fresh, she is quite capable of making 

 a five or six mile point when not too much pressed, 

 and there have been plenty of instances where a 

 straight run has exceeded this without any change of 

 hare, so far as could be ascertained. It is very 

 unlikely that any change could have taken place, for 

 as it is the ordinary habit of a hare to run in a circle, 

 it is extremely improbable that, after running one hare 

 in a straight line for some distance, another would be 

 so obliging as to get up and forthwith go identically 

 in the same direction. Were hares to ' make off end- 

 ways ' more often, hare-hunting would be a still more 

 attractive sport than it is. 



There are a few points which may bt; borne in 

 mind by a young huntsman. A beaten hare seldom 

 turns downhill ; therefore, if a hare is manifestly out 

 of her country and getting near the end of her powers, 

 a cast should always be made up a hillside rather 

 than down. Another point to remember is, that if 



