74 HUNTING TOURS. 



and Sir Thomas Mostyn's Hounds, in Oxford- 

 shire, took his finishing degrees ere he essayed 

 to hold a lead in Leicestershire. 



Previously to Mr. Osbaldeston's commence- 

 ment, the Wragby woodlands, surrounded by 

 grass, had not heard the note of a hound for 

 two seasons, and the foxes, innocent of such 

 polite attentions, were unacquainted with the 

 rules of etiquette, and declined to leave their 

 sylvan territories. There were no earths and 

 the ridings were bad. But difficulties stimu- 

 lated the Squire in all his actions, whenever 

 a good object was in perspective. Seeing 

 that it was so fine a country, he was deter- 

 mined to teach the foxes better manners. 

 They were numerous and vigorous, and they 

 were constantly visited for five weeks, during 

 which period two of them took refuge in 

 hollow trees, but their forces were only re- 

 duced one brace. Perseverance at lono-th 



o 



prevailed, and to convince an incredulous 

 friend, the Squire betted him a guinea that 

 on hearing his voice or horn one or two 

 would be sure to fly. He told his friend 

 where to station himself, and won the bet. 

 It is reported that in one season forty runs 

 were productive of forty masks for the ken- 



