292 HOUSES AND HOUNDS. 



An old fox-lninter being resolved to catch liim out and con- 

 vict him of hunting bag foxes, found out his next place of 

 meeting, when they expected to have a day's sport, which was 

 always to be known at a certain Sadler's shop in the gay city, 

 and joined the cry. His appearance, however, was not particu- 

 larly agreeable to the consjjirators, but things were conducted 

 so snug that they fancied he would be outv»^itted. After pre- 

 tending to draw for a hare over some fallows, and up a hedge 

 row or two, they trotted off to a small covert, from which the 

 hounds went away almost as soon as thrown in, on the other 

 side. " Stole away," cried the professor at the top of his cracked 

 voice ; but our old fox-hunter was soon with them, and kept his 

 place in the foremost rank, notwithstanding the exertions of a 

 self-styled captain, who considered himself the leader of the 

 concern. The straight course pursued by the animal before 

 them soon led him to surmise there was something more than a 

 jack hare before the hounds, which opinion he openly expressed. 

 " Oh, very likely," said the captain. " Perhaps it is a fox — there 

 are some wild outlying ones in these parts." "And," rejoined 

 the old fox-hunter, " I have a notion there are a few bagmen as 

 well ; and that this is one I have very little doubt." " We don't 

 do those things, I assure you," said the other. " Then your 

 neighbours belie you ; but we shall soon see." 



In about fifty minutes the fox was run into and killed, when 

 our old fox-hunter jumped off his horse, and appropriated the 

 brush to himself, which having carefully examined, he held in 

 Ms hand, until all the field came up. Last of all, the worthy 

 master made his appearance, puffing and blowing like a gram- 

 pus. " Well, gentlemen," he said, " we have had a capital run ; 

 but who would have thought of finding a fox in that little 

 place?" "Not you, I'll be sworn," exclaimed the old fox- 

 hunter, with a sly look, " if you had not put him there first." 

 " I put him there, sir *? I know nothing about him." " Well, 

 then, you persist in saying that this is a wild fox, do you f 

 " In course I do," replied the master. "Then I'll prove that to 

 be false, any way," said the old fox-hunter; "here is the proof" 

 — so blowing back the fur on the brush, he drew forth certain 

 bits of oat chaff', which had worked their way down to and 

 adhered to the dock — these he displayed to the discomfited 

 professor and his wondering field. There were no more asser- 

 tions made in contradiction to this damning proof. Our old 

 fox-hunter coolly remarking, that " wild foxes did not make 

 their kennels in corn him,'' rode off with his brush. This was 

 a very neat way of discovering a bagman, and a hint worth 

 attending to; but, as all bag foxes may not be put either 



