HORSES AND HOUNDS. 289 



disarm suspicion, and with the majority of men who go out 

 hunting, his plan succeeds. A master of hounds is almost puz- 

 zled how to deal with him, although he may be satisfied in his 

 own mind of his malpractices. You cannot assert that he kills 

 foxes, without proof positive ; you may hint your suspicions to 

 the master or the man, but you are met, in limine, with the 

 retort courteous, "What just cause of complaint have you? 

 whenever the coverts are drawn there is a fox." There is your 

 answer. _ You have, in fact, nothing to say. Your only plan is 

 to be quiet, watch him carefully, and you will catch him out. 



From the description given of this man's coverts, and the fact 

 ol there being a litter of cubs occasionally bred there, I should 

 suppose them to be a natural resort of foxes, and such being the 

 case, he has no occasion to employ railroads or stage coaches to 

 convey them to his locality. They come there without having 

 their passage paid, willingly and uninvited, perhaps, although 

 we are aware of certain drugs, by which foxes may be drawn to 

 a certain spot, even from long distances. This dodge possibly 

 may be practised in this instance, although it strikes me as an 

 unnecessary one. The country around being regularly hunted 

 by hounds, foxes will resort to this man's coverts for quietude, if 

 not attracted there by game, and few have an idea of the num- 

 ber of foxes disposed of in one season by an old and skilful 

 keeper so situated. There are many ways of catching foxes 

 without injuring them : and if there is in addition a head of 

 earths on the ground, here is a live trap at once ready made to 

 his hand. I should not be surprised if this man destroys from 

 ten to fifteen brace of foxes in a season. He will keep one 

 always in reserve for the hounds against their drawing his 

 coverts, selecting the freshest and last caught or least injured. 

 This fox will be carefully concealed in some out-of-the-way 

 place, and let loose the same morning the hounds are expected. 

 This being done, the keeper puts on a bold face, and goes to 

 meet the hounds, in apparently the most cordial manner. If 

 asked about foxes, he will demurely say, " I think you will find, 

 sir, in our coverts this morning •" or he may complain, as some 

 do, " of being eaten up with foxes." 



The huntsman and hounds are the most likely to find out this 

 old gentleman in his tricks. Let the former carefully observe 

 the hehavimir of his old hounds, when the fox \^ found, and also 

 when he is hilled ; for they will tell him to a certainty whether 

 the fox has been handled or not. Let the pads also, the brush 

 and neck, be well examined before he is given to the hounds. 

 The fox being turned down perhaps two or three hours before 

 the hounds arrive, will have had time to roll himself, and become 



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