WILY^S STORY 55 



heard the hounds coming towards them in full 

 cry, they came straight after me in the line I had 

 run, and so spoilt the scent which I had left. 



I well recollect, a short time after this, overhear- 

 ing, as I lay in my kennel, the following conversation 

 between two men as they rode by : " What a pity it 

 is that INIr. Codi'ington is so silent when his hounds 

 are hunting their fox." " Well, I don't know that ; 

 for suppose now you saw some weasels hunting a 

 rabbit, do you think they would hunt it better if 

 some fellow was to keep on hallooing to them ? " 

 No reply followed the question, although I anxiously 

 waited to hear one. As far as I was concerned, I 

 regretted that more noise was not made, as it would 

 have assisted me, and not the hounds. The silent 

 system is, at all events, a most dangerous one for 

 the fox before he is found. I have had some narrow 

 escapes from these very hounds being brought to a 

 small covert or bog in this forest so silently that 

 they surrounded me before I was aware, and I have 

 with difficulty got away from them. Indeed, many 

 female foxes have thus been killed heavy with cub, 

 and in that state incapable of great exertion. Had 

 these females heard the huntsman's voice in time 

 they might have moved and run to earth, or shown 

 in what state they were, so that the hounds might 



