118 A COUNTRY READER. 



The old instinct of their far-away hunting 

 ancestors arose in their hearts, and it was 

 stronger than the love, or the stick, of their 

 master. 



And the old hunting instinct also had taught 

 both the terriers that they had a better chance 

 of catching their rabbit if they hunted together 

 than alone, and so they arranged it between 

 fchem. 



Anyone who has ever watched a pack of fox- 

 hounds at work, and is gifted with a slight 

 imagination, can picture the working of a pack 

 of wild* dogs, the wild ancestors of these fox- 

 hounds. 



At a word from the huntsman, with tails in 

 the air, they spread themselves over the covert 

 in search of the strong scent of the fox. At first 

 no whimper is heard, not a note, all is quite 

 silent, save for the cracking of twigs and occa- 

 sional call of the huntsman's voice. Then one 

 keen dog pauses, sniffs quickly and earnestly, 

 his tail quivering with emotion, a signal that the 

 scent is near, but that he has not quite got on it 

 yet. At last he picks it up, and with note and 

 tail gives the well-understood signal to the pack. 

 And the spread pack gathers gladly from all parts 

 of the covert to get on the scent that the fortunate 

 dog has found. 



You can see what a much better chance a wild 



