EARLY HUNTING EXPERIENCES. 15 



In his work the "Doctor" was indefatigable, 

 and if, when he had run a fox to ground, he sus- 

 pected that it might be dug out or a gin set during 

 the night, he would start off as soon as his hounds 

 had been tended, and whatever the distance from 

 the kennels, he would make sure that all was right 

 before he returned. 



One day, when the fixture was at Melbury, a 

 member of the hunt, who overtook the "Doctor" 

 and his hounds on the way to the meet, re- 

 marked that he was tired from the long chase of 

 the day before, to which the "Doctor" responded 

 bluntly, " If you be tired with a four hours' ding 

 yesterday, what must I be then, for this be the 

 zeven-and-vortieth day vollying that I have hal- 

 lied to a hound, save and except Sundays." On 

 another occasion a party of riders met the " Doctor" 

 when he was on the way to covert, and they asked 

 him where hounds were going. " Why," was the 

 answer, " we be going to try if we can't tackle thik 

 Whitfield fox that have a-beat us vour times. I've 

 drafted vourteen couple of sich rogues, that if he 

 don't look pretty sharp, I count in about three- 

 quarters of an hour they will be for sucking his 

 blood." 



The " Doctor," when drawing Prince's Wood one 

 day, took no notice when some of the hounds chal- 

 lenged, until at last he was asked why he did not 

 cheer them. " Because," was the answer, with 

 becoming scorn for the questioner, " we have a- 

 many young hounds out, and I'm afraid it be 



