250 HORSES AND HOUNDS. 



addition. To sliow tlie zeal of the man, I will only relate one 

 instance, for the imitation of whippers-in generally. We had 

 run a fox to ground, after a very severe chase of nearly two 

 hours' duration, in an old gravel pit, on the grounds of a gentle- 

 man, who was always most friendly to our sport, and who 

 although no fox-hunter himself, had gone so far as to tell me 

 that he would discharge at a moment's notice any keeper of his 

 who should be found setting traps for foxes. He had also said 

 the same thing to Jim one day, in the presence of his head 

 keeper. This was not forgotten, for Jim never fancied these 

 keepers, and being on the outskirts of our country he could not 

 overlook them quite so often as he thought necessary. One of 

 these keepers was present when we ran the fox to ground and 

 promised " he should be taken care of." 



Upon our return home, and when I had just dined, Jim 

 requested an audience ; he was always at once admitted. " I 

 have been thinking, sir," he said, " of what that keeper told you 

 about taking care of the fox, and my notion is, that he does mean 

 to take care of him, and such care that we shall never find him 

 any more. I don't like those men and never did." "Well, 

 Jim," I said, " I have an idea also that he wont have fair play, 

 but we cannot help it now, such a night as this is." (It was 

 dark as pitch and raining as well ; and the place where we had 

 run the fox to ground was at least ten miles from the kennels.) 

 " I don't wish you to turn out in such weather as this, and the 

 fox must take his chance." " Well, sir," replied Jim, " if you 

 don't mind it, I don't, and that fox is too good to have his 

 brains knocked out by those rascally keepers. I shall go, sir, 

 and see after him." 



Having hastily swallowed a tumbler of wine, and without 

 changing his clothes, Jim mounted a hack, and set off on his 

 dark excursion. Arriving at a farmhouse near the gravel pit, 

 he there left his horse in the care of the farmer, and proceeded 

 on foot and alone to the spot. Having a good thick stick in his 

 hand he groped about at the earth for the traps which he sus- 

 pected were set there. Snap went one directly — this he put 

 away. Trying again, his stick was caught by two others. " Just 

 as I thought," exclaimed Jim. " Pretty care they were going 

 to take of our fox ; but now I'll play keeper and catch one or 

 two of these vagabonds, or my name ain't Jim." He accordingly 

 hid himself in some bushes in the pit close to the earth, and 

 there lay down until about ten o'clock, when he heard footsteps 

 approaching. Two men came down to look at the earth, nearly 

 ouching Jim as they passed. Seeing nothing unusual there, one 

 of them exclaimed, " Come away, he is not caught yet." " But 



