120 XOTITIA VENATICA. 



Some owners of packs have been known to possess a fox tliat has 

 lasted their honnds for half the season, when, by a little mobbing and 

 manoenvring, they have been enabled to pick him up by the brush, and 

 tlius save him before he could be injured by the hounds, then reconduct 

 him to his dungeon, and reserve him for another day's torture. Talk- 

 ing of making a fox " do for twice'" puts me in mind of a story tokl of 

 Jack Shirley, who so long hunted Sir R. Svitton's hounds, some 

 years ago. He was out with the hounds of a noble lord, which hunted 

 Avithin reach of the country where he lived, viz., the Burton, wheu,"after 

 a very severe run, every one being beaten off but himself and a hard- 

 riding young farmer, the hounds caught hold of their fox. Shirley, who 

 was close at hand at the moment, took him from them uninjured, and, 

 cutting off his brush, pitched him over the hedge, which, being an aw- 

 fully- thick one, allowed master reynard time to escape to some distance, 

 refreshed as he no doubt was by the galvanic apphcation of the knife, 

 before the hounds could get once more upon his line. Just as Shirley 

 had climbed into his saddle, the huntsman of the pack and the rest of 

 the horsemen came up, but too late to witness the operation. After 

 about half a mile more running, the fox was killed the second time, when 

 the regular huntsman took him from the hounds, and was about to cut 

 off his brush and present it to Shirley, who had requested to have it : 

 •what was his astonishment when he found it gone ! It certainly was a 

 strange and wonderful occurrence ; he was first up ; no one could have 

 got it, or he should have seen him taking it ; he looked round amongst 

 tlie hounds to see if one of them had pulled it off in worrying their fox — 

 no ; it was not there ! When Jack Shirley pulled the brush from his 

 pocket, and in perfect good humour threw it to his brother knight of the 

 couples, giving him the following piece of advice : — " The next time 

 your hounds are killing their fox, take care and stick a bit closer to 'em, 

 or maybe I shall cut his brush off again before you, if I happen to be 



out, Master W ." The late Mr. Mytton was, I am sorry to record 



it, rather addicted to bag-fox hunting ; but this arose from that innate 

 impetuosity of disposition which marked all his actions through life. On 

 one occasion he absolutely turned out a fox during a hard frost and deep 

 snow, and then letting out the whole pack, unattended by any horse- 

 man, retired with his visitors to the top of the house at Halston, to see 

 what he termed the fan ; after this frolic some of the hounds did not 

 return to their kennel for two days. On another occasion the turning- 

 out of a bag-fox was attended by circumstances of a more ludicrous na- 

 ture, and, as it proved, was a capital exposi of so childish an amuse- 

 ment. At the period abo/e alluded to, the man who had the shaking 

 of poor Charley had str-ct orders to make himself invisible as soon as 

 possible after he had e.j'arged his charge, cither by treeing like a martin- 

 cat, or 'n any way he thought best. But whether the fellow considered 

 the servants' hall at Ilalston was the most retired spot in the neigh- 

 bourhood, or whether he was compelled by the pangs of hunger, occa- 

 sioned by two hours' close watching in the wood previous to the hounds 

 being thrown off, has nc/er boon decided ; he Avas determined, however, 

 to *' break covej-," and, creeping along a thick hedge in the opposite di- 



