56 HOUND AND HORN ; 



fox, and, as it happened, almost through the hounds, 

 which had been drawn a little off. How wonderful it 

 is, the way a fox can thread through hounds, and how 

 many hairbreadth escapes must he have for his life ! 

 But so it was on this occasion ; he did escape, and being 

 close to the park palings, he managed to slip through 

 a place where no hound could follow him. I fear Jack 

 Fricker did not bless him ; but the only thing to be 

 done 'vvas to get one or tw^o pales down. One or two 

 hounds scrambled or w^ere helped over — but what a job 

 it is to get hounds through a small gap, when they 

 are all striving together and getting in one another's 

 way ! Well, there is allowance to be made for a 

 huntsman if he does speak a little French, or some 

 other foreign language, on such an occasion. But what 

 has all this got to do with the young gentleman who 

 lionoiired the Tedw^orth with his red coat ? I remem- 

 ber his being there when the fox was in the drain, 

 and when he was bolted ; he had gone very well with 

 the hounds across the forest from Puthall or Henswood, 

 and there had not been much to stop him, but his time 

 had not yet come. 



Now all those w^ho are acquainted with Durley 

 will remember that at the back of Caleb Symonds's 

 house are some small paddocks, with high deer 

 fencing all round, just outside the forest and tow^ards 



