A NEW DEPARTURE jj 



hounds and foxes can scarcely be expected to be in 

 as forward a state on the i st of November as could 

 be wished. 



An instance occurs to my memory as a fair 

 illustration. Hounds were cubbing in the district 

 in question for the first time, and there was a large 

 field out, eager for a ride. The first covert that 

 was tried held plenty of foxes, and hounds hunted 

 it till there was not a fox left in it. They then 

 went to another wood, and before they had drawn 

 more than a third of it a fox went away. The 

 field was impatient, and there was a holloa, the 

 Master allowed hounds to go to it, and the conse- 

 quence was a nice little run, which was not needed, 

 and a missed opportunity for the education of 

 foxes, which was. The run concluded, they re- 

 turned to the same covert, and a similar circum- 

 stance took place, and I am quite certain that in 

 nearly half the covert there had never been a 

 hound. Now the huntsman has only a vague idea 

 as to what cubs he has in the covert, and if there 

 were any cubs in it, which seems probable, they 

 have yet to make their acquaintance with their 

 hereditary foes. As the huntsman said to me as 

 we were riding home together, " That's the worst 

 of having these big fields out cub-hunting. They 

 never consider hounds, and they want a gallop." 

 He might have added, " and sacrifice the sport of 

 the best part of the season for the gratification of 

 the moment." 



But there is no mistake about it, for one 

 reason and another Masters will continue to 

 advertise their cub-hunting fixtures, and we shall 

 continue to have big fields out cubbing as soon as 

 hounds meet at a normal hour. But it is surely 



