1880—81.] A LINK WITH THE PAST, 365 



moving, as hounds spread out over the low cut stuff of which 

 the Tilton side of the covert at present consists. Tallfjlio- 

 Over sounded before they entered the thicker growth. Gene- 

 rally a good fox that finds himself. He's away at the bottom 

 in another second. The gate is locked, but the whip soon cuts 

 the Gordian knot with a hoist at the hinges. The pack have 

 struck the line in covert and are bringing it through — to a 

 point two hundred yards from where he has just been viewed 

 steahng away. Their heads are up for a second as the hunts- 

 man gets clear; and they swing out to his horn in a moment — 

 while the Master slips round them to bend their sweep within 

 bounds. " The other side of the fence he has gone" — and the 

 other side of the fence they drop on to it, with a gain of half 

 a furlong. Through the gateway and on beyond, they glide 

 out of view in a second. This gate, too, has a chain round 

 it — for when did hounds last run this line ? The left of the 

 gate is fenced with high timber, the right with much more 

 desirable wattle. Mr. Wade and his grey have no hesitation 

 in selecting the former. Neither have the next i)air ; but the 

 result in the latter instance is successful only as demonstrating 

 to what extent a good ash rail can resist momentum and upset 

 loose calculation. The gateway is crowded at once with hesi- 

 tating, baffled material. The wattle is easy enough ; but the 

 timber is the point of dishonour, attracting open-mouthed, 

 awesome attention. At last one sheep of the timorous flock 

 by piteous bleating obtains the right of a cut at the lesser 

 difficulty ; and the flock streams over, making the way easier 

 as it goes. A third locked gate, a third impossible {hardly 

 possible) fence brings in another delay and a better chance for 

 hounds. Now they are streaming over the neAv railway ; and, 

 before their following has dived under the adjoining bridge, 

 are flitting away in that old happy direction that leads to 

 twenty minutes of clear grass, the possibility of a cool ducking, 

 and the certainty of a fl5'ing scent. If hounds have started 

 well, they improve their terms as they go. They are three 

 hundred yards to the good of Firr, as he slips down the bank 



