156 THE SPORTING WORLD. 



been hitherto safe there he should find safety could 

 he reach it ; " he undauntedly faced the open 

 country," the fact is he could not make good 

 his point without doing so, his strength failed 

 him and he was run into. He was, as I have 

 stated, a fox of great speed and natural powers 

 of lasting, but game or courage he gave no 

 proof of, he simply ran away as fast and as 

 long as he could. 



I say this with no feeling of contempt 

 for the fox ; • it matters not from what 

 cause he does it, he affords sport not to 

 be equalled, and that to the highest in the 

 land ; this gives him a fair plea for preser- 

 vation, and not being ignobly made away with 

 by unfair means. I have shown him to be a 

 coward in contradistinction to those who fancy 

 him a bold animal, who will attack things of 

 which he is positively afraid. He now and 

 then gets hold of a rabbit, but they are 

 usually too quick for him, and are snug in 



