A ROUGH HOL'R WITH THE PYTCHLEY 51 



Catesby and Hellidon ; and it speaks volumes for Mr. 

 Martin's good care that, even to-day, there were at least 

 three other foxes in Dane Hole. 



At length they hunted back to Shuckburgh Hill — 

 their fox waiting for them in a small spinney beneath 

 it, till they almost caught a view as he mounted the 

 hill. Indeed for the next half-hour he ran in what I 

 may be allowed, without aspersion upon him, to term 

 very jackal-fashion. (A jackal, you may know — if not, 

 please take my word for it — never troubles himself to get 

 far ahead of hounds, but lobs along at his ease, not 

 caring much how often they may view him.) Past the 

 left of Shuckburgh House and village they drove him hard 

 towards Napton, till the presence of a shepherd shifted 

 him for a few fields back towards the hill. Then, I 

 daresay, he met a strong section of the field, making 

 their way from the wood, while most of us had of 

 necessity (for the canal cut us off from hounds) been 

 hammering the roads lustily. At any rate he was in 

 the same pasture with hounds near Napton, at a period 

 when we were very much engaged in finding our way 

 about, amid the strong fences to which I have alluded in 

 connection with Monday. 



Now we set off downhill northward, and plunge into 

 very darkness. " Where is the canal ? " was the question 

 in the Southam road. The Master alone did not wait 

 to ask, but was away in the gloom before any of us had 

 even taken stock of the woolly fence bounding the road. 

 In fact, I may fairly be allowed to say that, but for his 

 determined riding during the next twenty minutes, hounds 

 would have taken themselves off in the darkness, and 

 possibly remained out for the day. As it was, we had a 

 charming ride under his leadership, the tinkling of hounds 

 being the accompaniment (if tinkling be a fit term to 

 convey the full-mouthed music of a dog pack). By the 

 way, I venture to submit the remark that the W^arwick- 

 shire of the present have the only pack of dogs that 

 I have ever seen really come through a crowd, at all 

 times and on all occasions, as boldly and as readily as 

 the ladies. It has long been my confirmed impression 



