A Sportsman 271 



lars, which fall off, and the two dogs are free for the 

 pursuit. 



Having a large grain field of several thousand acres 

 on my place, enclosed about by a fence twelve miles 

 in extent, where the land is pretty level, but rising on 

 two sides moderately toward the centre, and where the 

 opportunity of witnessing coursing is excellent, has 

 led me to make many coursing excursions upon it, 

 extending over a series of years. The plan followed 

 is for the participators to pass in carriage or mounted 

 along one of the roads, flanked upon each side, well at 

 the head, by a man with a couple of greyhounds in 

 leash. The dogs are alert and eager, with pricked-up 

 ears and quick-turning heads, scanning about them 

 for sight of hare. Their impetuousness is difficult to 

 restrain, and no feeble or inexperienced hand should 

 manage the slips, from which, collared, the dogs may 

 break away together, or be too hastily freed. 



A hare bounds suddenly at one side, from its 

 form, and the nearest couple of dogs is instantly 

 freed, and go off like arrows in pursuit. Perhaps 

 the hare has a good start — five or six hundred feet — 

 and goes off in that bounding manner usual when 

 disturbed by shepherd or farmer's dogs, a common 

 occurrence, not enough to cause alarm, or even to 

 give a dropping of the ears, which ply with motion. 

 Interim those arrow-like forms are nearly approach- 

 ing, and are coming on with before-unknown speed, 

 and the hare, now warned by its projecting eyes, like 

 those of the frog, which turn to the rear, redoubles 

 his exertions with desperate efforts. But all in vain. 

 The approach is faster than the running speed of a man 

 if the hare was still. When the seizure is about to 



