SHOOTING TENANTS 205 



Willow Bed, and the Home Wood, and when that 

 worthy ceases for lack of breath, he asks shortly, 

 " Where'll we find to-day ? " Then comes a torrent 

 of advice from the keeper, who recommends the 

 Home Wood for the first draw. The Master 

 approaches, the word to move on is given, and 

 Master and huntsman speedily come to the under- 

 standing that the Home Wood shall be drawn 

 last. So to the Oak Coppice we proceeded, and 

 then to the Fir Clump, and then to the Willow 

 Bed, and not a sign of a fox can be discovered in 

 any of them. Indeed, they are nearly as con- 

 spicuous for their lack of pheasants, of which a 

 fair number were left at the shoot, and which Mr. 

 Velveteen tells his master have been taken by the 

 foxes. All the coverts have now been tried save 

 the Home Wood, into which we will proceed, by 

 your leave, with sturdy old Ben. " Yooi over 

 troi " shouts the veteran, as he draws acre after 

 acre of the covert, till it is about half drawn. 

 Then there is a perfect chorus of view holloas in 

 the middle of the wood, and Ben, in no great hurry, 

 trots up to the holloa. "Just by here he went," 

 shouts an excited rustic, and one or two young 

 hounds feather and own the line, but don't look 

 like making much out. " What is that with 

 broken coat and dissipated, unkempt appearance, 

 with an apology for a brush, and a look of having 

 been up all night ever since he was born about 

 him ? Surely that cannot be a fox." But it is, 

 and Jester and Rallywood and Harlequin, gallant 

 young hounds, as yet short of experience, get a 

 view at him and roll him over. Some of the older 

 hounds look on with contempt strongly marked on 

 their faces ; Ben rides up, takes the fox from the 



