SOME DEPREDATIONS 293 



but pooh-poohed the matter. " Foxes," said he, 

 " did not take lambs of that size ; look out and 

 you will find that it is a dog." So the shepherd 

 did look out, and morning after morning he went 

 to watch. At last, after watching for two or three 

 mornings without result, he fell in with the 

 delinquent in the act. There was no mistaking 

 the sly countenance, those pricked ears, that brush 

 swung over his back with a defiant twist when he 

 was disturbed, and that Jong, low, stealthy stride, 

 bespeaking pace and endurance. So off" went the 

 shepherd to the Master of the Hounds with his 

 story, and as the shepherd was a truthful man, 

 and, moreover, a keen sportsman, the Master 

 believed his tale, and told him to shoot the fox, as 

 a lamb-worrier was no good to any one, and would 

 do infinite damage before the next season came 

 round ; and here I must add that the season had 

 just terminated. 



So away went the shepherd, and after watching 

 for a couple of nights, the fox came into the field 

 and began to prospect the lambs. It was about 

 five in the morning, and the shepherd, perhaps 

 rather too anxious to secure the depredator, instead 

 of killing him outright, hit him hard. The 

 kennels were not far off, so he made the best of 

 his way to them, told his story, and the Master 

 immediately consented to hunt this fox to death. 

 Within an hour of the time that the fox had been 

 fired at he had hounds in the field, and they at 

 once took up the line and hunted steadily on in 

 the direction of a well-known fox covert which lay 

 not very far off. Through this covert they carried 

 the line, and then getting on better terms with 

 their "fox," they rattled along for some four 



