HORSES AND HOUNDS. 145 



against your asking me this question just yet." The hounds 

 were now away again. "Oh ! he is a thrusting scoundrel," ex- 

 claimed my friend Bob ; " he's got some go in him yet, and I 

 have an idea it will be a moonlight affair." " Nonsense," I said, 

 " he can't stand another forty minutes, after the pace we have 

 been going. Now, Bob, lend a hand, for Jem's half afraid of 

 him, and Tom is lost ; we will try to handle him before two 

 o'clock, unless I am out of my reckoning altogether." We had 

 now a fine fox-hunting country before us, with large enclosures, 

 but sadly in want of drainage ; the scent became merely a 

 holding one, which we were not sorry for. The fox, in Bob's 

 opinion, was now making his point for a large covert, in which 

 he thought w^e should change. Fortunately there were no earths 

 there : I therefore despatched Jem to get forward to the other 

 side of this wood as fast as he could, and my friend Bob kindly 

 undertook his place. " Now," I said, " we shall be all right if 

 he will only wait a bit, when he reaches Rushmead." For- 

 tunately for us he did so ; the hounds soon got upon good terms 

 with him again in the covert, and made the wood crash as they 

 rattled him round and round. Bobtail was, hoAvever, game to 

 the last, and he tried to break away twice where Bob and I had 

 stationed ourselves, in the direction of a long string of wood- 

 lands, which it was my determination, if possible, to prevent 

 him reaching, as we were sure to change there, and the coverts 

 extended nearly three miles in continuation. Knowing his in- 

 tention, I posted Bob out of sight under the hedge, with direc- 

 tions to let him get clear of the wood one entire field, and then 

 to halloo and ride like mad. I then joined the hounds in covert, 

 and Babtail, finding the course clear, broke away; we were not 

 far behind him- and Bob played his part to perfection. Before 

 the fox had crossed the first field. Bob was after him from his 

 hiding-place, hallooing like fun. The artful dodger stopped and 

 hesitated one moment whether to return or go on : that moment of 

 hesitation sealed his fate. The hounds were coming tearing out of 

 covert, and, hearing Bob's hullaballoo, caught sight of the poor 

 chicken-killer, and had him down before he could again reach 

 the wood hedge. I did not tell Bob this was just the trap I had 

 laid for him, as we were a very long distance from home, and 

 my horse had had quite enough of it. All stratagems are fair 

 in war, and Beckford says, "A fair fox-hunter and a fool are syno- 

 nymous terms." Having made acquaintance with the large wood- 

 lands in perspective, upon a former occasion, when I was treated 

 to a concert by owls, I had no great fancy just then to a second 

 treat from their harmonious voices, and was obliged to use a 

 little stratagem to dispose of Mr. Bobtail before he had quite 



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