38 HOUND AND HORN 



he humped his shoulders and sent her pounding away 

 in pursuit. 



'* Why did you holler them away ? Why didn't 

 you stop them ? " I shouted, when I got within ear- 

 shot ; " it can't be a cub." 



^' Don't know/' replied he, in the tone of don't-want- 

 to-know ; " only saw his back as he crept along the 

 bottom of the sheep drain." 



Here was an unexpected start, and an undesired 

 one : a hill fox with his nose to the hills, and hounds 

 screaming close behind him on a hot scent, having 

 had no work to draw for him, and no trouble to 

 find him themselves, and the young hounds hanging 

 back wondering what it was all about. 



But see the sheep drawing together only a quarter 

 of a mile in front ; and " Jupiter ! there he goes cross- 

 ing back over the white moss and coming in ; perhaps 

 it's a cub after all." By riding inside of hounds as 

 they swung left-handed we got nearer them, and 

 to our joy saw them turn sharp back towards the 

 cover we had just left. But to our dismay we heard 

 them run right through without dwelling, saw them 

 carry the line out on the far side, and things began 

 to look serious as they streamed away a second time, 

 with an increased cry and no slackening of speed, 

 most of the puppies joining in this time. 



Divided between a desperate desire to get forward 

 to see which hounds were running at head, and to 

 hang back and curse Billy, I galloped along towards 

 the hills, the chorus getting fainter as hounds tailed 

 out and sunk the wind. At first I kept in touch 

 by riding the ridges, where the going was sound, 

 and by keeping to some bridle tracks which I knew, 



