The Present Day 1 1 3 



the line again, and hunted slowly across Mr. Wright's 

 farm into Chaldon Wood. Up to this point they had 

 been running slowly, and for the most part down wind, 

 but now a change came over the scene, for a welcome 

 view put them on terms with their fox again, and away 

 they went at a fast improving pace along the Dens for a 

 mile, to the edge of Farthing Down, when, with a sharp 

 left-handed turn over Chaldon lane, the bitches were on 

 the grass screaming away up wind at racing pace back 

 towards Grasscuts. This was the last the majority of the 

 field saw of them, as a big fence with wire in it necessi- 

 tated a detour, which in this case was hopeless. A few, 

 however, surmounting the difficulty by the aid of wire 

 cutters or the probability of a fall, galloped hard after the 

 fast disappearing pack, a glimpse of them in the dusk as 

 they hovered for a moment at Grasscuts being the last 

 seen of them ; the rest was by sound and information 

 received en route^ as followers could hear them running 

 hard back to Boor's Green, where this good fox was 

 found. On reaching this point the few survivors found 

 that hounds had been gone ten minutes in the direction 

 of Upper Gatton, which they had just touched, and were 

 still running hard, but in which direction was uncertain. 

 Further pursuit was hopeless, as it was now 4.45, nearly 

 dark, nothing could be heard, and horses had had enough. 

 Three of the field while standing in the lane below Upper 

 Gatton, listening for any sound which might give some 

 clue to the direction of hounds, perceived by the light 

 of the rising moon a travel-stained weary fox crossing a 



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