148 HUNTING TOURS. 



country. I was surprised, however, to hear 

 of an act which was perpetrated by a keeper 

 in the early part of the season. The hounds 

 were running- a fox in the direction of a 

 covert under his care, when he planted a 

 file of men to head him, and having a gun 

 in his hand, fired it, to turn the fox from 

 his point. It does not appear that the fox 

 was hit, and it is to be hoped the man did 

 not shoot at him with that malice prepense, 

 nevertheless it was a most abominable and 

 unjustifiable act. Trusting such an occur- 

 rence may not be repeated, I refrain from 

 a more minute identity. 



A considerable portion of this country lies 

 at a distance from the kennels, and, con 

 sequently, entails more than an average 

 amount of wear and tear of horses, hounds, 

 and men, and railway communication is not 

 extensively available. Then, again, a van 

 would be almost a useless conveyance, as the 

 nature of the roads will not admit of wheels 

 without making very wide circuits. The 

 limits extend to the countries hunted by 

 the Cambridgeshire, the Oakley, and the 

 Pytchley, with the Cottesmore close at hand; 

 and on the east bounded by the Fens, where 



