196 HORSES A^"D HOUNDS. 



once more, running up tlie vale tlirougli a few grass fields. The 

 liounds were now pressing hard for their game, and at this 

 moment the field, who had been cofi'ee-housing on the other 

 side of the covert when we slipped away, came rattling down 

 the hill side at various points, and the racket they made kept 

 the fox for some time from turning back in that direction. We 

 ran thus for a couple of miles, straight up the valley, Jim riding 

 parallel with us along the ridge. Old Slowman and others cut 

 in at right angles, to take the lead out of our hands, but he could 

 not keep his ground — lOst. and a thorough-bred were not to be 

 beaten quite so easily, and the fencing we encountered was 

 more in our usual line of business than his, althougli he rode 

 hard enough, and with vengeance just then, to get — to use a 

 vulgar expression — the fat out of the fire. The crushing, 

 groaning, and straining through these heavy enclosures was 

 tremendous ; with an occasional dash of damson-pie, which I 

 heard going on behind me. All this was highly amusing, as I 

 kept steadily on, determined not to be beaten. The household 

 brigade were soon far in the rear. 



When we got up to our fox in a thick hedgerow, the hounds 

 did not see him, as he jumped out behind them, but I did. The 

 scream I uttered brought them to in a minute, and up the hill 

 we went, heads up and sterns down, with anotlier big wood 

 before us. Now, Jim, I thought, we shall barely do it, if you 

 are in the wrong place. I \}Vii spurs to my horse for a last 

 effort, when Jim's welcome cry rang in my ears — " Tally-ho ! 

 here he comes !" Shriek after shriek followed, and down came 

 Jim, with the fox before him, right in among the leading hounds. 

 The " whoo-whoop !" he uttered might have been heard in the 

 next town. The reins instantly dropped upon my horse's neck, 

 and I then walked leisurely in. Jim's attitude was highly pic- 

 turesque. On the top of a hillock he stood, with his cap in his 

 right hand, and the fox in his left, held high over his head — 

 the hounds, some lying, others baying around him. His 

 screams must have struck terror into poor old Slowman's heart, 

 who was making the best fight he could still uj) the hill, to be 

 there or thereabouts. 



The ceremony of dividing this dainty morsel among the eager 

 and expectant hounds was delayed to give all the field who 

 remained an opportunity of being in at — what they had not 

 seen for a month before — the death of the fox. Most of them 

 laughed, and thought it a capital joke, my taking the cards into 

 my own hands in this way, but others of the orthodox school 

 looked anything but pleased at the slip I had given them in the 

 big wood, and thought I was taking great liberties. My 



