46 Memoir of Tom Smith. 



horn over to the Master, saying lie had better 

 hunt the hounds himself. John was of course 

 sent home, and Mr. Smith was left to his own 

 resources. A fox was shortly after found in 

 North Coppice, which, after a ring or two in 

 cover, broke away; all appeared prosperous, 

 until the hounds were running on the opposite 

 side of a wide hedge-row, when on a sudden 

 they stopped, and seemed to have killed their 

 fox, to thp great joy of the new huntsman, 

 which, however, was soon turned into grief; 

 for when he rushed tlu'ough the hedge-row to 

 take up the fox, he found that his hounds had 

 killed a poor sheep. He at once believed him- 

 self ruined for life as a huntsman ; and after 

 rating and flogging the hounds so fimously as 

 to bring all the field to the spot, he took them 

 home. The Eev. G. Eichards, and that kind 

 good man Mr. Butler, rode part of the way 

 with him, and endeavoured to console him, 

 assui'ing him, from their experience, that such 

 an event was not very unusual early in "the 



