The Bloodhound. 25 



check. Some nice work was done In the bare field, 

 especially where the quarry struck off at a sharp 

 angle, and along by the fence of the plantation. 

 They had no difficulty in making out the whole of 

 the course, which we would take to be about three- 

 quarters of a mile. 



The final trial was run by the entire two couples 

 and a half of hounds, and with fifteen minutes' law 

 to the quarry. Now that the snow had ceased, the 

 pack quickly went along the right line down the hill 

 and over the first fence. In the middle of the second 

 field, some quarter of a mile from the start, Danger 

 seemed at a loss, and, turning back to his owner who 

 was following as fast as the deep snow would admit, 

 somewhat disconcerted the other hounds, as they 

 turned round to the voice of Mr. Pegler, who called 

 his hound up. Higher up the field Beeswing 

 appeared to be the one that struck the scent again, 

 her voice attracting her kennel companions, who 

 rattled along the correct track up to a hedge which 

 lay to the left. The quarry had skirted this 

 boundary line, and made his w^ay down hill to a couple 

 of hay stacks, or, at any rate, stacks of some kind. 

 He had doubled along the road here, but hounds 

 found him w^ithout the slightest difficulty. 



Hunting and shooting men know scent is one 

 of the mysteries of nature. Here we were out on 



