SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 325 



"They will ride over un to-day, sir/' Will 

 Headman remarked, as he quietly slipped his 

 hounds into covert. There was no noise, no 

 " Yoicks in ! holes ! " no cracking of whip by Jem to 

 rouse a fox up from his kennel before found by 

 hounds. The pack dashed away, thoroughly intent 

 upon their own business, and requiring no encou- 

 ragement to do it. They fly rapidly through the 

 high wood, spread widely and eagerly over the 

 thicker underwood, turn back at a signal from the 

 horn when they reached the boundary of the hedge, 

 and are now searching the lower section of the 

 covert with an impetuosity which seems significant 

 of a find. Their huntsman is with them, an 

 occasional word of encouragement proceeding some- 

 times from his lips ; yet they want no such incentive 

 to do their work effectively. Every yard of the 

 covert is drawn thoroughly and completely, yet; 

 there is not a whimper heard. 



" I verily thought we should have found him here, 

 Will," said John Staveley, who had followed the 

 hounds through every part. 



" So did I, sir; but here he is not, that's clear, 

 although he has been here not long ago." 



"Where now, Will, then?" 



" I've been thinking, sir, that there's a little bit 

 of a brake about two fields off, lying very snug and 

 quiet under the wind, with a thick sedgy bottom to 

 it, which it's more than likely a fox would fancy 

 after such a night as last. There I think we shall 

 find him, sir." 



ei Here ! here ! here ! come away/' cried Will 



