SANDY^S STORY 117 



than the clouds, the hounds came to a check, owing 

 as it was thought, to my having overtaken some 

 cattle, and to too much delay in holding on the 

 hounds ; and I escaped. 



It appeared to me that these hounds had at 



the time rather too much flesh, though shortly 



afterwards the fault was mended ; for I never was 



pressed more by any pack in my life. Every hound 



seemed to go as if he had the leading scent. All 



came nearly abreast for several fields, and they 



were close to me when I again took refuge in a 



drain. The extraordinary scent just described 



induces me to relate the events of that day from 



the beginning. A remark was made before the 



hounds had thrown off, by an old sportsman, as 



follows. It happened that several coverts were 



drawn by the hounds without their finding a fox, 



although it was notorious that foxes had been on 



every former day most abundant there ; on hearing 



this the gentleman said, " I have often observed 



that on good scenting days foxes are not to be 



found, even where they are known to abound as 



they do here." 



" How do you account for that ? " was asked. 



"Probably on these good scenting days foxes 

 lie under ground, or in places not disturbed by 



