104 OBSERVATIONS ON FOX-HUNTING 



wines. We occasionally went " the best pace 

 over the mahogany," and often ran the Portu- 

 guese a sharp burst, and whoo-whooped many a 

 long corked Frenchman ! 



Blood is so necessary to a pack of fox-hounds, 

 that if you are long without it, you cannot ex- 

 pect sport ; many say the art of fox-hunting is 

 keeping your pack in blood. All hounds are 

 liable to get out of it ; even in Leicestershire 

 I have heard of such things. I remember being 

 once with a pack, which had been out of blood 

 for some time : it was a good scenting day, they 

 found their fox well, and went away close at 

 him ; the owner observed to me, " Novo look 

 at them, — do they appear to be out of blood ? " 

 Very true, I answered, but it won't last long ; 

 they soon came to a check, which brought them 

 to a hunting scent, then to difficulties, and at 

 last they lost their fox. If they had been in 

 blood, it is my firm opinion they would have 

 killed him. 



Hoimds will not work through difficulties, nor 

 will they exert themselves in that kilhng sort 

 of manner when they are out of blood. If after 

 all you should, owing to ill luck and bad weather, 

 be in want of it, the best way is to leave an 

 earth open in a country where you can spare 

 a fox, and where you can, without much trouble 



