584 FOX-HOUXD, FOREST, AND PHAI1UE, 



length of the woodland, emerging near the Badby lodge -gate, 

 and racing for blood across the meadows towards Staverton. 

 As they dashed into a lane, Reynard flitted across the gateway 

 opposite. One young hound alone caught a view ; and, while 

 her comrades disentangled the twisted thread, coursed her game 

 in rnidfield. Three times she turned him, and three times he 

 swung his brush and doubled behind her till he fairly beat her 

 to the hedge. For minutes then he was plainly discernible 

 making his way from field to field the pack once more in 

 vociferous and combined pursuit. Despairing of the open, he 

 struggled round into the village (of Badby) where from gar- 

 den after garden rang forth the view holloas that sounded his 

 knell. At length and here our sympathies went up to poor 

 Reynard, and our nature for the moment was inclined, had it 

 been possible, to forsake its " brutal instincts ' r he jumped from 

 garden wall on to cottage roof, ran along the thatch of one till 

 he reached a higher, when finding, as he thought, an open earth, 

 popped headlong down a chimney flourishing his white tipped 

 brush in triumphant farewell. But he had barely reached the 

 hearthstone before a strong hand gripped him by the flag he 

 had waved so defiantly. His sharp white teeth went promptly 

 into Lord Alfred Fitzroy's leg a substantial top of dainty hue 

 only just sufficing to make the fangs harmless. A moment more 

 and he was flung from the door to fight out the life for which 

 he had struggled so gamely. 



An hour and twenty minutes the time the last forty excel- 

 lent and the point of an S-shaped run fully seven miles. And 

 he the eighth fox in four days. 



THE END. 



BRADBURY, AGNEW, & CO. LIMD.. PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS. 



