The Hunting Year 



very fewest, and as no hounds had been out for 

 at least six weeks, it was only to be expected that 

 the wildness to which I have alluded would be 

 very much in evidence. Foxes were plentiful, 

 scent was catchy, and hounds ran in snatches. 

 Covert after covert was tried, a fox found, run a 

 few fields and lost ; and, to make the matter all the 

 more aggravating, when a fox was found there 

 always seemed to be a chance of better things. 

 At last hounds found in a nice gorse covert; 

 they sent their fox round it cheerily three or 

 four times, and got well away with him. Over 

 three grass fields they ran fast, and, just as 

 they seemed nicely settled, they checked. Of 

 course, the gallop across three grass fields at 

 something approaching top pace set everyone 

 on the ride, and hounds were driven quite a 

 field forward. The difficulty was set right, and 

 the same thing was repeated — hounds ran a 

 field, checked, and were driven over a field or 

 two by an excited crowd. At length a long- 

 suffering master of hounds spoke in no uncer- 

 tain tone about taking hounds home, to such 



a state had matters grown. And it is not a 



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