HORSES AND HOUNDS. 209 



wliicli saved its life in a rabbit pipe, and by the entreaties of a 

 friend who was up at tlie finish he was not given up to the 

 hounds. At the time I remarked, that the probability was we 

 should not find him again, even if he survived the dressing we 

 had given him that day, neither was it fair towards the hounds, 

 who were then thirty miles from their kennel. This fox we 

 found at nearly three o'clock in the afternoon, in some wood- 

 lands, where he hung for half an hour : he then broke away over a 

 fine grass vale, and crossed the open downs for several miles, 

 where our horses were sadly beaten, some obliged to stop 

 entirely. Upon leading my horse down the last hill off the 

 downs I saw the hounds running their fox in view into a small 

 fir plantation, and I of course concluded they had him. Hearing 

 the hounds baying, I did not hurry myself, thinking it was all 

 over. Upon reaching the spot, however, I found that the fox, 

 in jumping the bank, had rushed into a single rabbit pipe, which 

 only extended through it, and so close was he to the hounds, 

 that he bit their noses when trying to grub him out. Under 

 such circumstances, there was only one thing to do, but I was 

 fool enough for once in my life to listen to the suggestions of a 

 friend, and spare this fox, at the expense of my hounds, who 

 had so well deserved him ; they had then to travel home thirty 

 weary miles in a dark cold night. This fox I had viewed 

 several times before he broke covert. 



I never found him again until two years afterwards, although 

 constantly and regailarly hunting the same country. He then 

 gave us the most sharp, short, and decisive run which, perhaps, 

 ever occurred to a pack of hounds. Our fixture upon this 

 occasion was made to draw a small but thick gorse covert on the 

 downs, and the place of meeting being within distance of two or 

 three hunts, the muster was a full one. Two or three well-known 

 masters of fox-hounds honouring us with their presence, our 

 hounds were of course well looked over and scrutinized by those 

 supposed to be great judges and connoisseurs in everything per- 

 taining to the noble science. The remarks made were conveyed 

 to me through a friend, who was anxious to hear the opinions 

 expressed by these great authorities, and kept company with 

 them for that purpose. One observed that they were a mon- 

 strous fine pack of hounds to look at, but that they could hardly 

 get into the gorse, much less push a fox out of it. Another, 

 that they mig-lit do very well in a heavy vale country, but were 

 out of place on the downs, as they could not have speed enough 

 from their size to catch a fox in the open. "Well, gentlemen," said 

 my friend, " I have an idea you will alter your opinion very soon, 

 when the squire gives the signal for the performance to commence." 



p 



