124 FOX-HUNTING IN THE SHIRES 



— I forget what ; but at all events it was open ground. 

 The huntsman viewed the fox. Off went his cap, 

 a shrill cheer broke from his lips, and the hounds 

 coursed the fox to the hedge. He turned short the 

 other side and ran up to the right, while the excited 

 pack flashed half across the next field. The fox 

 escaped, the thread was broken, and the hounds 

 could only feel after the line, till at last it faded out 

 altogether. That huntsman had found his fox well 

 and hunted him fairly, but he could not kill him. 

 If he had held his tongue, hounds would have had 

 the fox in the hedgerow. We forget how much 

 nearer the ground than ours the hound's eyes are, 

 and consequently how much more limited his field 

 of vision is. It is always safer to let the hounds 

 run their fox into view themselves. 



Hunting a fox is a much more difficult task in the 

 grass countries than it was fifty or sixty years ago. 

 There always were, it is true, stains of sheep and 

 cattle over the line, and there always was in Leicester- 

 shire and Northamptonshire a too eager crowd. But 

 there were no railways nor so many fences, and cattle 

 were not left out so late. There are more herds 

 and flocks in a given area now, when the crowds of 

 followers are bigger and more men ride up to hounds 

 than was formerly the case. Shepherds' dogs are 

 more common, and are perhaps more often used by 

 those who, with no objection to hunting in the ab- 

 stract, would prefer that the fox should take his 

 course over some one else's fields rather than their 

 own. " Can't you keep your dog in ? " " Garn, 

 what are you talking about ? my dog have as much 

 right to run him as yourn have ! " is a true story 

 and an attitude of mind not unknown to us. Un- 

 sportsmanlike if you please, but it exists. Then 



