FOX-HUNTING IN ENGLAND. 221 



hunting exercise every winter for over sixty years 

 had protected him wonderfully well against the 

 ravages of time, and it is rare to see an Ameri- 

 can of sixty so hale and hearty, and so cheerful 

 and jolly. I was told that if I would take him 

 for my leader, I would see more of the run than 

 I could in any other way with such a mount as 

 I had. He seemed to know the habits of the 

 foxes of South Warwickshire as thoroughly as he 

 did every foot-path and gate of the country, and 

 he led us by cross-cuts to the various points to 

 which Reynard circled, so that we often had the 

 whole field in sight. It was not an especially 

 interesting day, and the fox got away at last, 

 among a tangle of railway lines that blocked our 

 passage. My old mentor, who had given me 

 much valuable instruction in the details of hunt- 

 ing, was vastly disgusted at the result, and broke 

 out with, " Ah ! it 's all up with old England, I 

 doubt ; these confounded railways have killed 

 sport. There 's no hunting to be had any lon- 

 ger, for their infernal cutting up the country in 

 this way. I Ve hunted with these hounds under 



