SANDYS STORY 115 



horses to cross ; so that, being a long way round, 

 the hounds were stopped, and it was agreed that I 

 was dro^vned in the Tweed. 



Having seen some part of the country on the 

 Enghsh side of the Tweed, I determined to cross 

 back to it ; and after being there a short time only, 

 and lying in a field of large turnips, not uncommon 

 in this part, I was awakened by hearing a loud 

 voice : " Treadwell, I wish you would draw the 

 hounds through this turnip field. It is a very likely 

 place to find a fox." This order was obeyed with 

 tlie utmost silence ; but fortunately, having had the 

 previous notice, I was off and away as fast as my 

 legs could carry me, and was not seen, owing to the 

 height of the turnips, until I reached the next field. 

 The hounds soon got on my scent, and pursued 

 me closely for about twenty -five minutes, so 

 extremely fast, that I began to think I had changed 

 my country for the worse. 



Independently of their great speed, I could not 

 hear them, as I did those by which I had been 

 hunted on the other side of Tweed. I reached in 

 safety a small covert, in passing through which it 

 appeared that the hounds got on the scent of 

 another fox, which turned out to be a cub, and 

 so I escaped ; for although an old sportsman saw 



