90 In Scarlet and Silk 



Beaufort lias fathomed ; for, in the Badminton 

 book on hunting, he writes : " Scent it un- 

 questionably is which enables the hounds to 

 follow the line of the fox, but from what 

 portion of the frame it emanates — whether 

 it sometimes lies on the ground, or rises a 

 few inches above it, and what are the 

 atmospheric conditions most favourable to 

 its develo^Dment — seem to be vexed ques- 

 tions. ..." It has been suggested that the 

 solution to the case of the hare in her form, 

 is that the animal gives out no scent until 

 she begins to travel. Be this as it may, it 

 is well known that as a hare is sinking, when 

 before hounds, scent gets perceptibly less, 

 until it very nearly dies out altogether. 



A friend of mine, a Master of harriers, told 

 me that he bought a useful hunter at the 

 hammer for fifty guineas, and rode him nine 

 seasons ; after which, thinking he would like 

 a souvenir of the old horse, he had him 

 painted. His groom was very pleased with 

 the likeness, and asked his master " how much 



