ANSWERING QUERIES. 169 



^Yoi doii^t/ or something of that sort you said 

 in hunting tone to them ? ^^ 



"^Yo doit/ ^^ said I^ pointing to my friend's 

 empty glass, ''^that to you means mix. ^Yo 

 doit ' to a hound means hunt, or try. You saw 

 our one halloo brought these hounds to us, a 

 screech or two more would have brought the pack, 

 possibly before the huntsman could get out of the 

 cover, what should we have got by going off with 

 a couple and a half of homids ? They would most 

 probably, unassisted, have soon got oft* the line, 

 and misled the body of the hounds ; they quite 

 understood me, though it seems you did not ; and 

 the little time it took them to stoop for the scent, 

 let the pack up, and we got a very pretty thii'ty 

 minutes' skirmish, quite as long as our powder 

 lasted.'' 



" One more question and I have done. Why did 

 you cry ' ware hound ' to me at the first fence ?" 



"Because," said I, "we had a little exceeded 

 rules in going off with only a couple and a half 

 of hounds, before the body had actually come 

 up, and were settled to the scent ; and having 

 done so, if either of us had maimed a good 

 hound, I should have hidden my diminished head 

 as a sportsman, which I flatter myself I am 

 reckoned. You was nearly on the direct line of the 

 hounds. I did not see them when I warned you. 

 Now suppose they were feathering about, from 



