44 THE MOUNTAIN-FOX. 



fectly bare, the old ones have come unperceived within 

 ten yards of the party, and were at last only discovered 

 by the straining of the dogs on the leash. I have often 

 heard the watchers say, that the ease with which " the 

 tod " avoids their faces, and skulks behind their backs, is 

 most surprising. If the foxes escape the guns, as they 

 commonly do, " the streakers " * are slipped upon them, 

 and, if not then run down, nothing remains to be done 

 but again to set the watch. So long as the old ones 

 are prevented from entering, they will return morning 

 and evening for several days ; but, should either of them 

 get access, and miss the young, they come back no more. 

 At those times of the year when there are no litters, the 

 usual way of hunting is to place a man, with a streaker 

 or greyhound ready to slip, upon the tops of the neigh- 

 bouring hills ; the fox-hunter then draws all the corries, 

 crags, &c., where they haunt. Should Reynard be started, 

 he is almost sure to take a course over the top of one of 

 the hills where the men are posted. He comes up all 

 blown, and, if observed, (which, I must say, is seldom the 

 case, ) has a fresh streaker slipped upon him, which ought 

 to run him down. 



I may here give an account of a hunt I had with one of 

 my brothers, after as fine a mountain-fox as ever prowled 

 upon the wild moor. We had gone on a roe-hunting 



* A breed between the largest size of greyhound and foxhound. 

 Some of them are swift, very savage, and admirably adapted for the 

 purpose. 



