HORSES AND HOUNDS. 113 



particularly good, and we had about an hour's work badgering 

 about the coverts; then the old gentleman, not relishing the 

 hustling we gave him, went away over the open fields into 

 our neighbour's country, and, taking a wide circuit, made his 

 point for some other small brakes, about two miles distant from 

 where we found him. Here the scent improved, and we were 

 congratulating ourselves upon the prospect of the speedy ful- 

 filment of our sanguine hopes in eating him, when a fresh fox 

 interposed to save his life, and away went the hounds up wind, 

 as hard as they could tear away for about five miles, before we 

 could get up to stop them. When we did so, neither Jim nor 

 myself were in a very agreeable mood ; we therefore kept our 

 thoughts to ourselves for awhile, looking over the hounds to see 

 if there were any missing. They were all right. " Well, sir," 

 said Jim at last, "this is an awkward piece of business, with 

 all the young hounds out too, to be done in this manner, and 

 that litter of cubs ! I thought how it would be with that man 

 that looked after them so well. The young hounds wont be 

 much the better for this morning's work any way." " That's 

 just my opinion, Jim, if we leave off in this manner ; so come 

 along, we must have that old fox's head to finish with." " It can't 

 be done, sir, I am afraid," replied Jim ; " we have five miles at 

 least to go back to the brakes where we changed, and by that 

 time he may be five miles another way." '" Very likely," I said, 

 " but I will try and get up with him again." So oft' we went. 

 Our hunted fox, having nearly enough already, was not sorry 

 for the shady shelter of the wood on this hot day, and there he 

 waited our return. We were soon at him again, and, after two 

 or three quick turns, he broke away, with the hounds close in 

 his wake, for the coverts in which we had first found him in the 

 morning, and there we at last finished him off, much to' Jim's 

 satisfaction, and all parties concerned. 



^ Taking the time of year and the heat of the day into con- 

 sideration, it was a tough piece of business for young hounds, 

 which had only been out three or four times before. We had 

 been at work on and off for more than seven hours, and had 

 our hounds not been in good hard condition, we could not 

 have overhauled this hardy old fox. A small quantity of Epsom 

 salts was given the following morning, and in a couple of days 

 the hounds were all right again. 



The lesson of this day, though a severe one, was not lost 

 upon the young hounds, and they gave us very little trouble 

 afterwards ; our general practice, however, in the cub-hunting 

 season was to stop from an old fox, if possible, and stick to the 

 cubs ; for a hard day without blood, if prejudicial to an old pack 



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