SOME HUNTING STORIES 211 



ten miles as they ran, not a soul anywhere near 

 them to give them help after the first mile. 



An irate and astounded covert keeper came out 

 just in time to see Beauty and Spinster Doatie and 

 others pull down a tired out fox. 



They would hunt on for a day at their own pace. 



I went to what might be termed a " notable " 

 Patrick's Day hunt once — in the stone-wall 

 country — where a sporting farmer had started 

 a pack of deer hounds. 



We waited two hours at the fixture before the 

 deer arrived in a bread-cart, the delay having 

 been caused by the unreasonable baker, who " must 

 deliver his bread if ye plaze, an' I tellin' him ye 

 were all waitin'." 



Hounds, being a little wild, were immured in 

 two pigsties in which they yowled dismally. 



I had brought down Miss Magner to do honour 

 to the chase over the stone walls. 



Presently the Master whispered to me to ride 

 to a certain spot for he must blind most of the 

 field by making a pretence of letting off the deer, 

 and not doing it, otherwise they'd be after him 

 and give the dogs no chance. 



So the favoured few went to the top of a hill, 

 and the confiding many followed the cart until it 

 was suddenly driven through a gate which was 

 shut and locked and the deer enlarged close to us. 



He trotted out of sight and was given ten 

 minutes, subsequently made into twenty by the 



