282 HORSES AND HOUKDS. 



Tvere most unpleasantly defeated, by the nnf(>rtnnate fox being 

 stifled in the bag before his arrival. As misfortunes seldom 

 come singly, it so happened that we were from home the day 

 this fox was brought, and the man fell in with my father, who 

 soon discovered the truth, but said nothing about it until after 

 dinner, when he remarked. " I think you young gentlemen ex- 

 pected a present to-day from Oxford." It was no use denying 

 it, for we saw the mischief in his eye. Einging the bell, he 

 desired the footman to bring in the bag which had arrived, and 

 to our horror Thomas soon made his appearance with the bag 

 in question, out of which he drew one of the finest greyhound 

 foxes I had ever seen, dead and stifl". 



" Well, my boys," said the governor, " you intended to play 

 me a trick, but the tables are turned, and I have only to 

 impress upon your minds, that if ever you attempt to make 

 the hounds run after a fox, they will then become a lot of curs, 

 and, as such, I will not keep them another week." Although 

 there were no fox-hounds in our country, my father never 

 would allow his hounds to change from their own legitimate 

 game, and after-experience has taught me that he was perfectly 

 right. 



CHAPTER XLIII 



Advantages of hare-liunting in some respects over fox-liunting — deduction of 

 expenses in fox-himtin^ establisliuients to meet the times — Mr. Yeatman 

 and his pack of harriers — ^Uufair prejudices against hare-hunting — A 

 random shot at fox-hanters — LiberaUty the true spirit of fox-hunters — 

 Liberal game-preservers^The Squire of C*****n — Foxes do not live 

 upon game only — Letter from an old fox-hunter — Artful keepers turning 

 down foxes when the hounds meet to draw then* preserves — Way to 

 detect such practices. 



Haee-hiin^ting has some advantages over fox-hunting. The 

 expenses attending it are trifling ; you can select days best 

 suited to sport without gi%dng ofience, or causing inconvenience 

 to others. If the day you have appointed turns out boisterous, 

 you can go out the next. There is no earth-stopping to be done, 

 therefore one day will do as vrell as another. Harriers also 

 cannot be worked too much in reason. You can select also your 

 own hour, and make your amusement subservient to other en- 

 gagements or avocations. For these reasons I should prefer 



