HORSES AND HOUNDS. 205 



would not let go ; and in this way all three were hauled out, 

 amidst the laughter and cheers of those standing round. 



Upon another occasion, we had run a fox to the mouth of a 

 large drain, which led from a gentleman's house to the brink of 

 a wide brook. We were, of course, obliged to take the hounds 

 away at once. A couple of hounds were missing, and not 

 making their appearance the next morning, I sent the whipper- 

 in down to the drain, to see if he could make them out. He re- 

 turned with the intelligence that they could not be there, as he 

 had listened for some time attentively at the drain, and could 

 not hear anything. The servants also informed him it was too 

 small to admit a hound high up. The hounds not returning 

 home, I was not satisfied, and sent the whipper-in again the 

 next morning, with my compliments to the owner of the man- 

 sion, and begged his permission to uncover the drain at certain 

 places. This was kindly granted, and it was done so effectually, 

 as my man thought, that no hound could be there. 



At that time I had an engagement from home, and left it in 

 my whipper-in's hands ; but on my return a week had elapsed, 

 and still no tidings of the mis&ing hounds, which were two 

 favourite bitches. I could not get them out of my head day or 

 night, and still my thoughts would run upon that drain. On 

 the ninth day I again sent for the whipper-in, and told him I 

 would have the drain opened from bottom to top, as I was now 

 satisfied in my own mind that the hounds were there. " Oh, 

 sir," he said, " that's impossible ; they cannot be there, I am 

 certain." " Then," I said, " I am as certain they are. Go 

 directly ; get the keeper and another man with him, and my 

 orders are, that they shall not come home again without 

 the hounds. There they are, and I will have them out, dead or 

 alive. Not another word — away." My friend, the owner of the 

 mansion, humanely interested himself in the fate of the hounds, 

 and told my men, "' they might dig away anywhere, as long as 

 they did not pull the house down." The keeper, being a young 

 and powerful fellow, with others willing to help on such an 

 occasion, worked away for that the ninth day after they had 

 been lost, and slept in the village near that night. He resumed 

 his search early the following morning, and saw traces of the 

 hounds having gone up the drain. This gave him fresli courage, 

 and sinking a deep hole, nearly at the head of the drain, there, 

 to his deli;ht, he found both the hounds, and alive ! Being a 

 sensible fellow, he put them directly before a fire, and rubbed 

 them well over, giving them some warm milk and water to 

 drink, but nothing to eat. In an hour after he gave them some 

 more milk and water, wdth a little sopped bread in it. He then 

 borrowed a light cart, and brought them home in triumph. 



