216 Cross Country with Horse and Hound 



the line is faint they can hardly contain themselves, and 

 whimper and cry like children with disappointment. Here 

 indeed is one of the severest tests of a hound's truthfulness. 

 Sometimes his imagination runs away with his judgment, 

 and away goes his tongue. The other hounds leave their 

 work and rush to the babbler's side, but fail to confirm him. 

 The disgusted expression a hound shows at such a false 

 alarm is something almost human. He comes on a run, 

 cropping his head for a taste ; but when the mistake is dis- 

 covered, his whole countenance changes and he stalks away 

 disgusted. The huntsman meanwhile has his eye on the 

 babbler. Once or twice more of this sort of lying, and the 

 deceiver's days are numbered. 



The other hounds, fooled once or twice, pay no further 

 attention to him, even if he speak the truth. But let one 

 of the old hounds proclaim the news, and instantly every 

 hound is at his side. 



"That 's old Bluebells!" cries the major, as he and his 

 knowing old horse Friar both eagerly listen for a whim- 

 per. " That 's old Bluebells ! There is a fox on foot, 

 that 's sure. I 'd take that old bitch's word for a million." 

 And he charges on around the covert where his black-and- 

 tan beauties have set their fox on foot. 



It is a beautiful and stirring sight to watch twenty-odd 

 couple of well-bred, perfectly schooled foxhounds when 

 drawing a covert. How they fling themselves here, rush 

 there, now in a bunch with heads down and sterns waving 

 wildly as if a tornado had struck them, now scattered, one 

 running straight ahead for a rod, to stop suddenly and cast 



