1885. 49 



field hastening, some over the bridge to the 

 right, some by that on the left, to meet in the 

 middle and find that honnds had never crossed 

 the line at all. The fox had gone back 

 towards the gnll}^ bnt, pnlling himself together 

 again, made for the railway, and we were soon 

 running merrily along the east side of it to 

 Adber Village, which we left behind us, pointing 

 for Rimpton. Near here we had to get over 

 the brook by the mill, which required some 

 negotiation, not from its size, but from its 

 awkward banks. However, that accomplished, 

 we saw hounds streaming up the hill again in 

 front of us, bearing rather right-handed, and 

 after a while they then came to a check on 

 the cold ploughs at Sandford Orcas. Recover- 

 ing the line, we followed his tracks up Harthill 

 again, and on almost to Clatcombe Barn ; but 

 he was too clever for us, and really the wonder 

 was how we managed to get such a good two 

 hours' run when so little of that essential 

 material, scent, was to be had. So, leaving off 

 very near where we had begun, we trotted 



K 



