178 THE HUNTING-FIELD. 



Away she came, one ear forward, the other back, 

 to catch any sound that might indicate where most 

 danger lay, and making straight for a hole in the 

 fence, through it she went. 



" Why does not the Huntsman come up and lay 

 his hounds on at once ? " said my friend. 



" Because,'' said I, '' this is another of the dif- 

 ferent features between fox and hare-hunting, and 

 one that I consider makes the latter comparatively 

 so tame a sport. 



" With a fox we always wish to get off on as 

 ' good terms with him ' as possible ; with a hare 

 they wish her to get at first a little advantage of 

 the hounds; and I will tell, indeed show, you an- 

 other reason why, harriers should be cheated into 

 the fancy that they have found or hit upon then' 

 game, instead of its having been found for them. 

 You see the Huntsman is now drawing his hounds 

 towards the form she has just left, still encourag- 

 ing them to try all the way. Notwithstanding this 

 precaution, do you not see a couple or two of 

 hounds with heads up, and looking about them. 

 They are as awake to what has gone on, as we 

 are, though their perfect clisciplme keeps them 

 from attempting to break away.'' 



" How should they know this ? " said my friend. 

 ^^From the same sort of thing having con- 

 stantly occurred to them. The young, newly 

 entered hounds are not thus cunning, but a season 



