182 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



sterns and up went their heads, as, catching the scent, they 

 dashed over the fence, running as if they could see him. '' Now, 

 gentlemen, ride — ride as hard as you like, for they will have him 

 in ten minutes." 



Such a scene I hardly ever witnessed, with nearly tired 

 horses, which had been coming across some very stiff en- 

 closures ; racing at such a time was out of the question, but 

 the effort was made notwithstanding. Rival jockeys jostled 

 each other at the fences, and the rolling and crushing was 

 tremendous. Two hard-riding farmers in this scramble of 

 a couple of miles or less actually killed their horses — more 

 shame to them ! Mine, I admit, had already enough ; and, 

 knowing this, I did not over-hurry him, seeing also that 

 matters would soon be brought to a favourable conclusion 

 without my further interference. A small plantation sheltered 

 the fox for a second or two, but on the other sidq, leaping a 

 park fence, the hounds caught sight of their game, and raced 

 into him in an open park, pulling him down among a herd of 

 deer, whose company he sought as a last refuge. The deer, 

 being used to the cry of hounds, stood gazing on at a short dis- 

 tance, and it was altogether a scene wortliy the pencil of 

 Landseer — the fox in the hands of the whipper-in, the hounds 

 baying round, men with their hats off, wiping their foreheads, 

 the horses^ which had got up standing alone without their 

 riders, their heads lowered and tails erect, shaking from their 

 exertions — some walking leisurely in, others trying to make 

 a last gallop of it, and the herd of deer in the distance, 

 would form a beautiful picture. We had been nnming this 

 fox from the time we first found him, I should think, about 

 two hours and forty minutes. We had a very poor scent, only 

 sufficient to hold on the line at some periods. But this only 

 shows what perseverance can accomplish. The finish was 

 complete. It was one of those days of which I may fairly say, 



Hixc oTim rneminissejuvahlt. 



