174 WITH HOUND AND TERRIER. 



their fox. The brush was given to Mr Dowding, 

 of Hedge Farm, and the mask to Mr Tilley, of 

 Pilton, but the fox had not enough pads to satisfy 

 those who wanted them. 



Once when we were running a fox of a peculiar 

 colour, hounds were at fault in a road after a quick 

 burst, and the whipper-in, seeing an old woman in 

 a red shawl crossing the road, said to her, " Please, 

 ma'am, have you seen the fox ? " " Oh yes," was 

 the reply, " he went over just there," indicating 

 the spot with her hand. " What colour was he, 

 my good woman ? " here inquired the Master. 

 But for the reply he had to wait. Then slowly 

 and hesitatingly she answered, " Brown," to 

 the obvious annoyance of some among the 

 expectant throng, and the amusement of those 

 who w^ere not responsible for the day's pro- 

 ceedings. 



A run we once had with a black fox I must not 

 omit to mention. This fox was one of a litter 

 bred in the shrubbery at Haddon, and we con- 

 stantly saw him running about in the dusk on the 

 far side of the drive. For some time it was 

 believed that he was a black cat. As the autumn 

 approached he and the rest of the family retired 

 to Plumley Wood, where he was often seen, though 

 he escaped being hunted, as he was very clever in 

 substituting one of his brothers or sisters when 

 hounds came to the covert. At last, however, his 

 time came, and on the 13th of April 1887, the day 

 on which the hunt steeplechases were to be run, 



