OBSERVATIONS ON FOX-HUNTING 75 



hung ! " "I am of your opinion," answered he ; 

 " and you may have his skin." Will was so 

 anxious to get him out of the way, fearing his 

 master might change his mind, that when he 

 went out to feed his hounds, a few minutes after 

 his return home, " Thvuider " was no more ! The 

 next hunting day, when the hounds found, many 

 exclaimed, " it cannot be a fox, it is only riot, 

 — for we do not hear ' Thunder's ' voice ! " " In- 

 deed," said the Master ; " and what is more 

 wonderful, you never will again." It was soon 

 whispered about, that poor " Thunder " was dead, 

 — so many long faces were scarcely ever seen 

 before. One gentleman was observed going up 

 to a rich farmer, — " What do you think has 

 happened ? " " What ? " answered the farmer, 

 with the greatest anxiety ; " have any more 

 banks stopped ? " " No," replied the gentleman ; 

 " ivoi'se than that — poor ' Thunder ' is draughted, 

 and we shall never have any sport again." The 

 means taken had the desired effect for a time ; 

 but a subscriber was lost, — who coolly observed, 

 he never would go out hunting again, if he was 

 not permitted to halloo to the hounds lohenever 

 he 'pleased. 



It gave me much pleasure to find from your 

 last letter, that you had decided upon hunting 

 your own hounds ; I can see no great crime in 



