the thong of a whipper-in, then a note from a hound 

 which silences the chatter in the lane and brings 

 every one to attention. Then arises a tumult of 

 hound voices which sinks into silence and swells 

 out again. The clamour divides and tells us there 

 are two lines, and then a shrill voice sounds from 

 the far side of the covert. Those nearest the gate 

 dash through, up one side and down to the left, half 

 the horses out of hand with excitement; but there 

 is no time to lose for the fox is away, and the Belvoir 

 hounds are already striving forward. With incon- 

 ceivable rapidity they flit through the undergrowth, 

 and, by the time the first men are through the gate 

 and out of the covert, the whole pack has tumbled 

 out of the wood spread wide for the scent, hit off 

 the line, and are streaming away with a rippling^ 

 chiming cry that tells of a scent. 



Now, catch hold of the horse by the head and send 

 him along, for, even though he has the best blood of 

 the Stud book in his veins, hounds will beat him for 

 pace. Sit back and let him have plenty of rein at 

 the first hairy fence, for there is probably a ditch as 

 well to clear, and, as he flings the first two fences 

 behind him, there will be more room. The mass of 

 the field are hindering each other at the gate or 

 making for a gap, heedless of the fact that with a 

 good horse the safest and happiest place is in front. 

 But it is the hounds we have come out to see, and the 

 horse is but the means to an end. See, they have 

 overrun the line. The fox, only a cub, feels the 

 pace already and turns short down a hedgerow. The 

 hounds never pause or waver but cast themselves 

 widely and freely to the left, then to the right, and, 

 with scarcely the loss of a moment, are going as 

 fast as ever. But the pace steadies them, and there 

 is a bit of bad scenting ground where they have to 

 feel for the scent ; yet, even though they are hunting 

 closely, they still drive forward, never wasting a 



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