FOX-HUNTING 



narrow heather-fringed pathway, he brushes off his scent upon 

 the twigs at every stride, and the hounds race after him, 

 showing no head indeed, and keeping, for convenience, in one 

 long hne upon the track, but going, head up, sterns down, at 

 a pace which no horse can follow. — ^I only hope they may not 

 overrun the scent. 



' They have overrun it ; halt, and put their heads down 

 a moment. But with one swift cast in full gallop they have 

 hit it off again, fifty yards away in the heather, long ere we are 

 up to them ; for those hounds can hunt a fox because they are 

 not hunted themselves, and so have learnt to trust themselves ; 

 as boys should learn at school, even at the risk of a mistake or 

 two. Now they are showing head indeed, down a half cleared 

 valley, and over a few ineffectual turnips, withering in the peat, 

 a patch of growing civilization in the heart of the wilderness ; 

 and then over the brook — woe 's me ! and we must follow — if 

 we can. 



' Down we come to it, over a broad sheet of burnt ground, 

 where a week ago the young firs were blazing, crackling, spit- 

 ting turpentine for a mile on end. Now it lies all black and 

 ghastly, with hard charred stumps, like ugly teeth, or caltrops 

 of old, set to lame charging knights. 



' Over a stiff furze-grown bank, which one has to jump on 

 and off — if one can ; and over the turnip patch, breathless. 



' Now we are at the brook, dyke, lode, drain, or whatever 

 you call it. Much as I value agricultural improvements, I 

 wish its making had been postponed for at least this one year. 



' Shall we race at it, as at Rosy or Wissendine, and so over 

 in one long stride ? Would that we could ! But racing at it 

 is impossible ; for we stagger up to it almost knee-deep of 

 newly-cut yellow clay, with a foul runnel at the bottom. 

 The brave green coat finds a practicable place, our Master 

 another ; and both jump, not over, but in ; and then out 

 again, not by a leap, but by clawings as of a gigantic cat. The 

 second whip goes in before me, and somehow vanishes head- 

 long. I see the water shoot up from under his shoulders full 



27 



