jo THE SPORT OF KINGS 



As she crossed the ride she caught sight of me, but 

 she never increased her pace, and, quietly leaping 

 the fence, made off for the next covert. All was 

 still for a moment, and then came the startled cry 

 of a cock pheasant. What could have caused that 

 evident note of alarm ? What, indeed, save the 

 presence of that noble animal the fox, returning 

 homewards from his nightly foraging expedition ! 



And his quick ears must have caught the rattle 

 of a horse's hoofs coming at a smart canter along 

 the road, a sound which made my horse prick his 

 ears and snort. It is a whipper-in coming on to 

 his " corner," and ere many minutes elapse the 

 cheery "cry" of hounds running with a holding 

 scent told that the disturber had himself been dis- 

 turbed. There were but seven of us, all told, in- 

 cluding the huntsman and his aids, and as each 

 man had his allotted task and the wood is a large 

 one, it is not necessary to insist much on the fact 

 that there was no unnecessary galloping about the 

 rides. Yet how enjoyable such a morning is to 

 the man who can appreciate hound work. You 

 have been standing for half an hour or so, catching, 

 now and again, sounds of the " distant chase." 

 Now you hear hounds turn, they are rapidly 

 approaching you, the bracken stirs a little. Ah, 

 there he goes, over the ride, with ruddy fur and 

 gallantly carried brush, the little Red Rover who 

 may yet save his life by his cunning or his pluck. 

 He makes a short turn in the corner, hounds get 

 a view at him, some tail hounds meet him as he is 

 making the best of his way into the thickest of the 

 covert, surely they have him now. But no, the 

 courage — shall I say the traditions ? — of his race 

 come to his assistance ; he changes his tactics, and 



