HUNTING TOURS. 51 



preserver of foxes, and an ardent admirer of 

 the " longtails," and after the preliminary 

 hospitalities, very acceptable on such a cold 

 morning, had been proffered, the hounds pro- 

 ceeded to draw tlie gorse covert. This was 

 so completely beaten down by the weight of 

 the snow that had fallen on it during the 

 winter, that it appeared almost impracticable 

 for hounds to work through it — at any rate, 

 with sufficient energy to force a fox away. 

 They were not long before they roused him 

 from his kennel, and it would not be doing 

 them justice if I did not state that they 

 ])erformed their work admirably, under great 

 difficulties, with a bad scent, and an almost 

 impenetrable mass of gorse ; after being two 

 or three times headed, he eventually broke 

 covert at the further end, and the hounds 

 were got quickly away in a workmanlike 

 manner, which enabled them to hunt him on 

 better terms than could have been expected ; 

 bearing to the left, after running through 

 the corner, of a small spinney, a check ensued 

 at some farm buildings, which was fatal to 

 a burst. With a most miserable scent they 

 hunted with great steadiness in the direction 

 of the Cow Leaze, a well known stronghold 



D 2 



