38 THE HUNTING-FIELD. 



trusted; others flew at tlie lialloo and joined 

 chorus. A. minute after Pug showed close to 

 me, broke at once, threw up his brush, and went 

 off at score. Seeing him shortly change his 

 point, go straight up what little wind there 

 was, and taking into consideration the time of 

 year, I felt satisfied he was a stranger, and 

 made up my mind for a rattler, which he gave us, 

 and ran to earth in his own country and home ; 

 he did not run up wind for nothing. Now to 

 return to the stranger. He certainly did not_, as 

 Beckford represents some gentleman to have done, 

 show any indication of attempting to catch the 

 fox; but the moment the hounds showed they 

 meant such undertaking, away he went, and right 

 merrily he went. The hounds, with noses up, 

 sterns down, and giving themselves no time for 

 talking, went at such a pace that hurry them on 

 as he might, the scent was so good, and Pug went 

 so straight, he could do no harm to them. To do 

 him justice, fear he had none; at all he went, and 

 though sometimes nearly over the pommel of his 

 saddle, at others thrown up till he stood over it 

 like the Colossus at Rhodes, and at others in- 

 dulging in a little lateral inclination, with a loose 

 rein, his blooming chestnut topped all in gallant 

 style ; and though, as we sometimes do on seeing 

 a man much inebriated on horseback, I expected 

 to see the rider grassed, he kept on like a trump. 



